Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 50 IL stashes reflect renewed hopes for Shane Bieber, Victor Robles

It's been a long road back for Spencer Arrighetti. The 25-year-old, who was widely regarded as a sleeper coming into the year, first fractured his thumb on April 5. He wasn't having a good outing then, but his previous one was a gem in which he allowed one hit over six innings. And let's not forget his final 10 appearances last year in which he put together a 2.72 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 11.4 K/9. They're what made him a sleeper in the first place.

So will he have been worth the wait when he makes his return Wednesday, finally graduating from these IL stash rankings? That's anybody's guess. His injury wasn't the sort that might diminish his stuff, but he wasn't exactly a fully formed asset before it and saw some of his old control problems return in his three rehab starts. If I could rank him here (which I can't since he's coming off the IL), I would place him 21st, just behind Dylan Crews in the "still a priority on some level" tier. He's a talented pitcher with some upside to dream on, but you shouldn't be pinning all of your hopes to him.

Another preseason hype guy who could become relevant again is Victor Robles. He's apparently on the verge of a rehab assignment after so badly injuring his shoulder (fracture and dislocation) in April that many presumed he wouldn't make it back this year. He could make an impact in batting average and stolen bases down the stretch ... or he could never be the same because the injury was so severe. In categories leagues, particularly five-outfield Rotisserie leagues, I'd be looking to stash him away now in hope for the best.

Here's where he places among some of the other injury cases.

Too valuable to drop, period

1	Ronald Acuna Atlanta Braves RF
strained calf - once feared to have suffered an Achilles injury, this milder diagnosis should allow for a quick recovery
2	Hunter Greene Cincinnati Reds SP
strained groin - his third rehab start was his best yet, seeing him strike out seven over 3 1/3 innings; one more to go
3	Byron Buxton Minnesota Twins CF
ribcage inflammation - reportedly progressing well, but this is an especially tricky injury for an injury-prone player
4	Yordan Alvarez Houston Astros DH
fractured hand - taking batting practice and expected to begin rehab soon, with an eye on a mid-August return
5	Austin Riley Atlanta Braves 3B
strained abdominal - the same injury cost him two weeks in July, so the Braves may be more cautious this time around
6	Jackson Chourio Milwaukee Brewers CF
strained hamstring - recovering well after platelet-rich plasma injection, expected to miss 2-4 weeks
7	Chris Sale Atlanta Braves SP
fractured ribcage - throwing bullpen sessions with live batting practice next, may be a couple weeks away
8	Cole Ragans Kansas City Royals SP
strained rotator cuff - close to throwing off a mound again, could still return in August
9	George Springer Toronto Blue Jays DH
concussion - already slated for rehab assignment Wednesday, so could return this weekend
10	Nick Lodolo Cincinnati Reds SP
blister on finger - may need only minimum stay, but past blister issues could make the Reds cautious
11	Jacob Misiorowski Milwaukee Brewers SP
bruised tibia - threw bullpen session Tuesday, scheduled to return when first eligible Aug. 15

Also really difficult to drop

12	Shane Bieber Toronto Blue Jays SP
Tommy John surgery - has resumed rehab with two excellent starts of 4-plus innings, will make two more
13	Aaron Nola Philadelphia Phillies SP
stress fracture in rib - went three innings in first rehab start, may need only two more
14	Michael King San Diego Padres SP
pinched nerve in shoulder - knocked around in first rehab start Sunday, but velocity down only slightly
15	Pablo Lopez Minnesota Twins SP
strained shoulder - back to throwing long toss, could return before the end of August
16	Tanner Scott Los Angeles Dodgers RP
elbow inflammation - in the earliest stages of throwing program, could have quick ramp-up as a reliever
17	Jacob Wilson Athletics SS
fractured forearm - has continued catching and running, but this injury could keep him from hitting for a while
18	Felix Bautista Baltimore Orioles RP
shoulder inflammation - swelling said to be significant, so he's likely to miss all of August, if not longer
19	Alec Bohm Philadelphia Phillies 3B
fractured rib - hitting and fielding without pain, likely setting him up for a rehab assignment soon

Still a priority on some level

20	Dylan Crews Washington Nationals CF
strained oblique - began rehab assignment Tuesday, putting him on track to return in a week or so
21	Bryce Miller Seattle Mariners SP
elbow inflammation - fastball up 2 mph in first rehab start, offering hope he'll be better this time around
22	Brandon Walter Houston Astros SP
elbow inflammation - close to throwing off a mound, not expected to need a lengthy rehab
23	Jonathan Aranda Tampa Bay Rays 1B
fractured wrist - no activity for the next two weeks, won't return until September, if at all
24	Isaac Paredes Houston Astros 3B
strained hamstring - putting off season-ending surgery in the hopes that rehab will work, but it seems like a long shot
25	Shane McClanahan Tampa Bay Rays SP
nerve irritation - back to playing catch after being shut down for two weeks with a sore biceps
26	Jac Caglianone Kansas City Royals RF
strained hamstring - hitting and throwing but not ready to run yet; still a ton of upside despite poor production
27	Anthony Santander Toronto Blue Jays DH
shoulder inflammation - no word if he's begun swinging a bat yet, so likely still multiple weeks away
28	Gabriel Moreno Arizona Diamondbacks C
fractured finger - doing everything but hitting, which should resume soon; likely back in a week or two

Stashing is purely a luxury

29	Kyle Bradish Baltimore Orioles SP
Tommy John surgery - latest rehab start was weakest, but velocity has been good; likely 1-2 more to go
30	Ryan Mountcastle Baltimore Orioles 1B
strained hamstring - has performed well on rehab assignment and should return this week; my enthusiasm for him hasn't diminished
31	Victor Robles Seattle Mariners RF
fractured shoulder - scheduled to begin rehab assignment in one week, giving him a chance to play all of September
32	Tyler Mahle Texas Rangers SP
shoulder fatigue - feels better but still weeks from throwing, which is a problem this late in the year
33	Luis Garcia Houston Astros SP
Tommy John surgery - has made five rehab starts but will need more, has yet to work three innings
34	Cristian Javier Houston Astros SP
Tommy John surgery - shaky in latest rehab start but trending to return within the next couple weeks
35	Spencer Schwellenbach Atlanta Braves SP
fractured elbow - still hasn't begun throwing yet, which has beat writers thinking he's done
36	Jake Burger Texas Rangers 1B
strained quadriceps - on rehab assignment, should return before the end of the week
37	Tommy Edman Los Angeles Dodgers 2B
sprained ankle - thought to be more serious than earlier sprain; no clear timetable and was struggling mightily before injury
38	Nolan Arenado St. Louis Cardinals 3B
strained shoulder - timetable unknown, but the Cardinals won't hurry to bring him back, given his age and the state of the team
39	Miguel Vargas Chicago White Sox 3B
strained oblique - thinks he avoided serious injury and can return in closer to the minimum timeframe
40	Hye Seong Kim Los Angeles Dodgers 2B
shoulder bursitis - has resumed all activities; trajectory unclear since he had just become a regular before the injury
41	Seth Halvorsen Colorado Rockies RP
flexor strain - feared to be a more serious injury at first, has a chance of returning this year
42	Jorge Soler Los Angeles Angels RF
back inflammation - likely not a serious injury, but since it's a recurrence of a previous one, Angels may proceed cautiously
43	Evan Carter Texas Rangers CF
back spasms - likely not a long-term absence, but he wasn't playing every day even before then
44	Jameson Taillon Chicago Cubs SP
strained calf - struggled in first rehab start but reached 64 pitches, putting him close to a return
45	Landen Roupp San Francisco Giants SP
elbow inflammation - already throwing live batting practice, not expected to need a lengthy rehab
46	Kevin Ginkel Arizona Diamondbacks RP
sprained shoulder - severity still to be determined, and it's not like he was ever confirmed to be the closer
47	Andres Gimenez Toronto Blue Jays 2B
sprained ankle - began rehab assignment Tuesday and should return soon, though interest in him had cratered before the injury
48	Rhys Hoskins Milwaukee Brewers 1B
sprained thumb - still a month from returning, and given Andrew Vaughn's emergence, it's unclear how much he'll play
49	Mike Soroka Chicago Cubs SP
strained shoulder - severity unknown, but at this point on the calendar, it could be a season-ender
50	Lance McCullers Houston Astros SP
blister on finger - went four innings in latest simulated game but still expected to go on rehab assignment