The MLB season is a long drag, but we can easily make that work to our advantage in fantasy baseball. With so many games across six months of a regular season, we do not need results now. While it is nice, it is not make-or-break. What I am getting at is that injuries are a thing, and while players may be out for a time, they can have tremendous long-term value. Look to stash these fantasy baseball assets for midseason success.
Stashing Cole could be risky, but when he comes back in late May/early June, he can be very viable. At his best, Cole is a Cy Young-caliber pitcher. To see that form immediately is a gamble. Seeing it as a stash, he is a low-risk item.
Westburg is due back to the Orioles in May, and he can be of great value on a top-tier offense. If Westburg can rehab back well from his UCL injury, he slots right into big RBI and run ability with the top-ranked weapons surrounding him.
Despite injuring his hamate bone in his hand, Holliday is due back any day now. The former first overall draft pick is primed to do big things sooner or later. Go ahead, gamble on his stardom, and maybe you may reap the rewards of an MVP-level player in a best-case scenario.
Snell may not return until late May/early June. However, Snell put out a 2.35 ERA in 2025 and 72 strikeouts in 61.1 IP. Snell is a veteran, Cy Young-caliber player. He does deal with a soft-tissue shoulder injury, which definitely adds concern, but as a deep stash, your risk is minimal while your reward is a high-end starter on an elite Dodgers team.
Rodon is due back in about a month. The Yankee displayed a 3.06 ERA in 2025 and a sub-4.00 ERA in the year prior. He also works to a 25.7% strikeout rate, and on the Yankees, Rodon is primed to see many wins added to his resume. He is one of the less-risky injury stashes that you may find.
With injury risk on hand, the reward must be big. Wheeler happens to be another Cy Young-caliber player when healthy. He is aging, and that is concerning. However, Wheeler still dealt a 2.71 ERA in 2025 with a 33.3% strikeout rate. We can venture to hope, with confidence, that Wheeler still has gas in his arm.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as 6 High-Upside Fantasy Baseball Draft and Free Agency Injury Stashes .
