Fantasy Baseball Injury Rankings: Top 40 IL stashes show latest on Merrill Kelly's calf, Tarik Skubal's return

A long-absent Tigers left-hander looked impressive on his rehab assignment

We've recently learned that Aaron Judge, the No. 1 pick in many leagues who's been out since June 3 with a sprained big toe, in fact doesn't have just a sprain but a tear.

You might argue it's a distinction without a difference -- a sprain is a tear, technically -- but the gist is that it's more serious than we were led to believe, such that manager Aaron Boone wouldn't fully commit to Judge returning this season.

But he should, right? Boone intimated that much as well, though it doesn't sound like there's any real timetable. This tweet from Bryan Hoch of MLB.com caught my attention:

Spoke to a sports orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone who has not treated Aaron Judge, but he believes "optimistically, my best guess would be [that Judge could return] two months from the date of injury."
That would be on or around Aug. 3.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 24, 2023

That's something, at least, but the caveats are important. The orthopedic surgeon giving the estimate doesn't know a lot of the specifics, so in the end, we're left to guess when Judge might be back, only knowing that it won't be particularly soon.

Well, so what? We're obviously still stashing him. This is a player who could deliver 20 homers in two months' time. The impact Judge could have for your team down the stretch is more significant than anything else you might do with that roster spot, so if you're wondering why he's still so highly ranked here, that's it.

A couple other injury notes:

• If you haven't moved to pick up Tarik Skubal yet, now's the time. He just wrapped up his rehab assignment, and his fastball is up nearly 2 mph from last year, when he was nonetheless enjoying a fair amount of success.
• Merrill Kelly was recently added to the IL because of a blood clot in his calf, which sounds like a potentially serious situation. Manager Torey Lovullo pointed out, though, that Ian Kennedy had a similar blood clot last year and missed only 2 1/2 weeks. Kelly has already resumed throwing.
• Logan O'Hoppe, who at one point seemed almost certain to miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, is so far hitting the milestones necessary to make it back for September. He was one of the most impressive rookies in April and is at least worth stashing away in two-catcher leagues in light of this news.

Too valuable to drop, period

1	Julio Urias Los Angeles Dodgers SP
strained hamstring - looked good in rehab start Sunday, expected back Saturday
2	Yordan Alvarez Houston Astros DH
strained oblique - going through pregame exercises but no baseball activities yet
3	Aaron Judge New York Yankees RF
sprained toe - more severe than initial indications, could keep him out at least until August
4	Carlos Rodon New York Yankees SP
strained forearm/chronic back issue - likely needs just one more rehab start
5	Bryan Reynolds Pittsburgh Pirates LF
back inflammation - nearly avoided IL and isn't expected to be out long
6	Brandon Woodruff Milwaukee Brewers SP
strained shoulder - throwing off a mound, no word on rehab assignment yet
7	Max Fried Atlanta Braves SP
strained forearm - throwing off a mound, no word on rehab assignment yet
8	Merrill Kelly Arizona Diamondbacks SP
blood clot in calf - isn't expected to miss significant time, has already resumed throwing
9	Eduardo Rodriguez Detroit Tigers SP
ruptured finger pulley - may need only one more rehab start

Also really difficult to drop

1	Oneil Cruz Pittsburgh Pirates SS
fractured fibula - out of boot and playing catch; August return remains possible
2	Hunter Greene Cincinnati Reds SP
hip discomfort - will be back in second half, but maybe not until August
3	Nestor Cortes New York Yankees SP
strained rotator cuff - could throw a bullpen session soon, likely back after All-Star break
4	Tarik Skubal Detroit Tigers SP
flexor tendon surgery - potentially back Tuesday, velocity has been up on rehab assignment
5	Ryan Helsley St. Louis Cardinals RP
forearm tightness - cleared to begin throwing, but Jordan Hicks is filling in capably
6	Liam Hendriks Chicago White Sox RP
elbow inflammation - close to throwing, but likely not back until after All-Star break
7	Riley Greene Detroit Tigers CF
stress fracture in leg - taking batting practice and running sprints; rehab assignment forthcoming
8	Brandon Lowe Tampa Bay Rays 2B
herniated disc - on rehab assignment, could return at the start of next week
9	Ryan Mountcastle Baltimore Orioles 1B
vertigo - on rehab assignment, could return any day now
10	Chris Sale Boston Red Sox SP
stress reaction in shoulder - not eligible to return until August, but expected back this year
11	Kyle Wright Atlanta Braves SP
strained shoulder - throwing off flat ground, possibly back before August
12	Triston McKenzie Cleveland Guardians SP
sprained elbow - at least a month from throwing again, could be back in August or not at all
13	Dustin May Los Angeles Dodgers SP
strained forearm - still hasn't started throwing, no timetable for return
14	Drew Rasmussen Tampa Bay Rays SP
flexor strain - no updates since landing on 60-day IL in mid-May, still hoping to return this year

Still a priority on some level

1	Ke'Bryan Hayes Pittsburgh Pirates 3B
back stiffness - hoping for minimal stay on IL
2	Jorge Polanco Minnesota Twins 2B
strained hamstring - same injury sidelined him for two weeks in May, but this one is worse
3	Edward Cabrera Miami Marlins SP
shoulder impingement - no official timetable, but short absence expected
4	Nick Lodolo Cincinnati Reds SP
stress reaction in tibia - hasn't begun throwing, but August return possible
5	Trevor Story Boston Red Sox 2B
elbow surgery - won't be able to play shortstop until August but could potentially return sooner as DH

Stashing is purely a luxury

1	Alex Cobb San Francisco Giants SP
strained oblique - looked good on rehab start, likely back this week
2	Jose Quintana New York Mets SP
stress fracture/tumor in rib - needs 1-2 more rehab starts
3	Tyler O'Neill St. Louis Cardinals LF
strained back - doing full baseball activities, set to begin rehab assignment
4	Alejandro Kirk Toronto Blue Jays C
lacerated hand - could be just a minimal stay, which would put him coming back this week
5	Zachary Neto Los Angeles Angels SS
strained oblique - will resume baseball activities this week, could return around All-Star break
6	Jose Urquidy Houston Astros SP
shoulder inflammation - throwing bullpen sessions, potentially back in second half
7	Cal Quantrill Cleveland Guardians SP
shoulder inflammation - began rehab assignment Sunday, may be ready for activation
8	Mason Miller Oakland Athletics SP
sprained elbow - has begun throwing program, but still has a long way to go
9	Frankie Montas New York Yankees SP
shoulder surgery - has begun throwing program, could return at some point in the second half
10	John Means Baltimore Orioles SP
Tommy John surgery/strained back - has resumed throwing after back strain, still aiming for August
11	Edwin Diaz New York Mets RP
torn patellar tendon - progressing quickly, could return near end of season
12	Logan O'Hoppe Los Angeles Angels C
torn labrum in shoulder - has begun light tossing, hoping to return in September