Since my last IL stash rankings came out in mid-June, Francisco Lindor and Hunter Greene have returned from lengthy absences, and Munetaka Murakami and Vinnie Pasquantino are gearing up to do the same. Meanwhile, Brent Rooker and Cole Ragans have removed themselves from stash consideration, and (gulp) Brandon Woodruff and Ben Brown may be on the verge of doing the same.
Yes, the injury carousel keeps turning, and along the ride, you’re just wondering how best to make use of those precious IL spots. That’s what this list is for.
Notably, the window to get any use out of an injured player is shrinking. We’re more than halfway through the season, and most any injury suffered now, particularly to a pitcher, is likely to push into the last quarter. Timetable, then, takes on a little more weight in this latest round of the rankings, though how impactful the player is when healthy still holds top priority.
Too valuable to drop, period
Also really difficult to drop
Still a priority on some level
Stashing is purely a luxury
