Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 50 IL stashes with Drake Baldwin going down, Jared Jones nearing return

Josh Hader, Shane Bieber are two other long-absent players who appear to be making progress

Scott White

May 19, 2026

9:20 pm ET

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5 min read

Normally, the mood here is a dour one, with the emphasis being more on what's been lost than what's being gained.

But we've reached a point in the season when some of the early injury cases who once seemed so far over the horizon no longer are.

One such player is Pirates pitcher Jared Jones, who's making his way back from an internal brace procedure on his elbow. The 24-year-old had the look of a rising star a couple years ago, standing out most for his slider and a high-rising fastball that brushed triple digits. It's doing more than brushing now. In fact, his one rehab start at Triple-A on May 6 saw him average 98.8 mph on his fastball, up 1.5 mph from when we last saw him healthy. In all, he has a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in four rehab starts and is likely to need just 1-2 more.

If you're looking for an impact pitcher on the waiver wire, Jones is a better bet than some flavor of the week. Which injured player could you consider dropping for him? Find out in the latest edition of IL Stash Rankings.

Too valuable to drop, period

Garrett Crochet

Boston Red Sox RP

shoulder inflammation - has built up to 35 pitches in two bullpen sessions, could return before the end of May2

Francisco Lindor

New York Mets SS

strained calf - still no baseball activities, but could be back within the next month3

Tarik Skubal

Detroit Tigers SP

loose bodies in elbow - already throwing off a mound despite having surgery May 6, could return within a month4

Drake Baldwin

Atlanta Braves C

strained oblique - Grade 1 injury, so there's hope for a minimal stay; let's say 2-4 weeks5

Cole Ragans

Kansas City Royals RP

elbow impingement - Sunday bullpen session went well, hoping to return when first eligible Friday6

Hunter Brown

Houston Astros SP

strained shoulder - close to beginning rehab assignment with an eye on returning in mid-June7

Cal Raleigh

Seattle Mariners C

strained oblique - finally addressing an issue that he's been playing through, could resume baseball activities in a week8

Logan Webb

San Francisco Giants SP

knee bursitis - scheduled for rehab start this week, which may be his only one9

Gerrit Cole

New York Yankees SP

Tommy John surgery - looked great in latest rehab start and set to be activated this weekend10

Tyler Glasnow

Los Angeles Dodgers SP

back spasms - not currently throwing after back flared up again but still looking at shorter ramp-up time once he's ready11

Corey Seager

Texas Rangers SS

back inflammation - avoided IL for five days before finally relenting; team thinks he could return before the end of May12

Roman Anthony

Boston Red Sox OF

sprained wrist - tried swinging a bat Monday but still felt sore which likely delays him another week13

Wyatt Langford

Texas Rangers OF

flexor strain - still not cleared for hitting or throwing, putting May return in doubt14

Josh Hader

Houston Astros RP

biceps tendinitis - about halfway into rehab assignment, could return right around the start of June15

Ryan Helsley

Baltimore Orioles RP

elbow inflammation - back to playing catch, expected to need rehab assignment before returning16

Kris Bubic

Kansas City Royals SP

elbow soreness - seems optimistic it's minor, but further testing will need to be conducted17

Max Fried

New York Yankees SP

bone bruise in elbow - will stop throwing for a few weeks then have further imaging done to determine timetable18

Hunter Greene

Cincinnati Reds SP

bone spurs in elbow - will throw first bullpen session in about a week, likely looking at six weeks of buildup19

Blake Snell

Los Angeles Dodgers SP

loose bodies in elbow - having same revolutionary procedure that Tarik Skubal had, which supposedly has 4-to-6-week timetable

Also really difficult to drop

Eugenio Suarez

Cincinnati Reds 3B

strained oblique - set to begin rehab assignment this week, meaning he'll likely be back before the end of the month21

Jose Altuve

Houston Astros 2B

strained oblique - Grade 2 injury will sideline him well into June22

Brandon Woodruff

Milwaukee Brewers SP

shoulder inflammation - will face hitters Friday to determine if he's ready for rehab assignment23

Jared Jones

Pittsburgh Pirates SP

internal brace procedure - has looked good with signs of improved velocity in four rehab starts, likely to make 1-2 more24

Emilio Pagan

Cincinnati Reds RP

strained hamstring - about two weeks into 4-to-8-week timetable, expected back at some point in June25

Spencer Schwellenbach

Atlanta Braves P

bone spurs in elbow - was nearing the start of throwing program at last report a week ago; out until second half26

Edwin Diaz

Los Angeles Dodgers RP

loose bodies in elbow - still aiming for second half return27

Ryan Jeffers

Minneso