Stashing these injured players is a winning move

Patience is rarely a virtue for most fantasy baseball managers, but often the most attractive names in a preseason draft are actually those injured players who are expected to miss varying amounts of playing time.

Can you afford to wait for these players to return to active duty, or will you move on early in the season? Perhaps it depends upon the expected length of time of the absence.

In any event, when it comes down to those last few picks in your fantasy drafts, it often makes more sense to select a player with the intent to stash them away in one of your IL spots, rather than to use those selections on options that not only might not ever see your starting lineup, but also are very likely to still be on the waiver wire once your draft is over.

With that in mind, here are some popular (and perhaps some not so popular) names for your consideration this season, along with their expected amount of time on the shelf.

Out for a few weeks

Nico Hoerner, 2B, Chicago Cubs: Hoerner (elbow) is recovering from October flexor tendon surgery and, while he may be ready for late-March's traditional Opening Day, the Cubs may be cautious with him. Hoerner is known for his speed in fantasy, and he may well be a mid-round bargain.

Sean Manaea, LHP, New York Mets: Manaea (oblique) was one of fantasy's better surprises last season. He may not make 32 starts again this year, but this is a short-term absence and, more importantly, not an elbow issue. We should expect strong performance once he returns. Manaea is slipping a bit too far in drafts.

Others: Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels (shoulder); Giancarlo Stanton, DH, New York Yankees (elbow); Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (shoulder); Evan Phillips, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (shoulder); A.J. Minter, LHP, Mets (hip); Blake Perkins, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (leg); Luis Garcia, RHP, Houston Astros (elbow); Jorge Mateo, 2B, Baltimore Orioles (elbow); Trevor Rogers, LHP, Orioles (knee)

Out for a month or two

Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves: Acuna (knee) is mending from ACL surgery and expected to debut in May. Fantasy's top player in 2023 may see a sharp reduction in stolen bases, however, making it tougher than expected for him to return top-50 value for 2025.

Spencer Strider, RHP, Braves: The top pitcher from 2024 drafts, Strider (elbow) underwent surgery last April. As with his teammate Acuna, Strider should return in May, but perhaps not initially at his expected "ace form" right away.

Others: Spencer Horwitz, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates (wrist); Brandon Woodruff, RHP, Brewers (shoulder); Ha-Seong Kim, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (shoulder); David Fry, C, Cleveland Guardians (elbow); Frankie Montas, RHP, Mets (lat); Alex Cobb, RHP, Detroit Tigers (hip); Tom Murphy, C, San Francisco Giants (back)

Could be back for the fantasy playoffs

Shane Bieber, RHP, Guardians: Bieber (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery last April, with an expected return around midseason. Once a fantasy ace, managers cannot reasonably expect Bieber to perform like a top-20 starter initially. However, he should absolutely be rostered in standard formats.

Eury Perez, RHP, Miami Marlins: Similar to Bieber, Perez needed the common Tommy John surgery, so he will miss more than a year. However, a full recovery and return to his prior prominence is eventually expected. Perez is younger than Bieber and pitches in a spacious home stadium.

Others: Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers (toe); Kyle Bradish, RHP, Orioles (elbow); Alek Manoah, RHP, Blue Jays (elbow); Cristian Javier, RHP, Astros (elbow); Anthony Rendon, 3B, Angels (hip)

Keeper league specials for 2026

Joe Musgrove, RHP, San Diego Padres: Musgrove (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery in October after posting a 3.88 ERA, his highest since 2019. He should make a full recovery in time for next year's Spring Training and he offers a strong track record of success.

Gavin Stone, RHP, Dodgers: Stone (shoulder) won 11 games during his official rookie season, but offseason surgery will cost him the entire 2025 campaign. While pitchers who undergo Tommy John surgery often return to prior success, shoulders can be trickier.

Others: Braxton Garrett, LHP, Marlins (elbow); River Ryan, RHP, Dodgers (elbow); Christian Scott, RHP, Mets (elbow); Josiah Gray, RHP, Washington Nationals (elbow); John Means, LHP, Guardians (elbow); Ricky Tiedemann, LHP, Blue Jays (elbow)