MLB Injury Report – Stash or Pass?

Welcome to the MLB Injury Report for Wednesday, July 15, 2026. In today’s edition, I take a look at fantasy-relevant players currently on the Injured List, examining their status and estimated return timelines to help determine whether they’re worth holding onto or if it’s time to move on. With fewer than 70 games remaining on each team’s schedule, every roster spot matters. Hanging onto a player who may not contribute much the rest of the way could end up doing more harm than good. Let’s take a look.

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MLB Injury Report

Aaron Judge – OF New York Yankees

Regarding Aaron Judge's impending reimaging, Brian Cashman said, "I don't think we're anticipating it's coming back clean. I think we're anticipating and hopeful that it's showing the healing process."

Cashman's hope is that the new imaging will clear Judge for additional… https://t.co/G4WqtTHutv

— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) July 9, 2026

Baseball’s biggest injury story will enter a new chapter this week. In fact, by the time you’re reading this, we may already know more about how Judge is feeling and what the next step in his recovery looks like. Keep that in mind as I evaluate his status. One important thing to remember is that Judge hasn’t been doing any upper-body activities. That’s one of the downsides of a stress fracture, as rest is a critical part of the healing process. The hope is that his inactivity, combined with being on the longer end of the original recovery timeline, has allowed the injury to heal as much as possible. Has it? Without knowing the imaging results, it’s reasonable to assume some healing has taken place. Put it this way: if there hasn’t been any healing, he’s an automatic pass, and the discussion ends there. That said, six weeks is a long time, and if he’s stuck to the recovery plan, there should be measurable progress. It probably won’t be enough for an immediate return, but it could be enough to begin a more active recovery program.

Verdict: Stash

If you’ve held onto Judge this long, I’d continue to do so unless you’re in desperate need of a roster spot. Assuming his updated timeline doesn’t get pushed into September, his upside is still more than enough to justify keeping him. There are roughly 10 weeks left in the season, with six of those coming before the final month. If he returns sometime in August, he’ll still have plenty of time to make a significant fantasy impact.

Nick Kurtz – 1B Sacramento Athletics

Still unclear how much time Nick Kurtz might have to miss with his right thumb injury. He will keep the thumb in a splint and immobilized through the All-Star break. A's hope to have a better idea once he's out of that splint.

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) July 12, 2026

What’s interesting about Kurtz’s injury is that the team still doesn’t know how severe it is. To me, that suggests the sprain is likely somewhere between grades, making it difficult to give it a definitive diagnosis. That said, if it ends up being a Grade 1 sprain, there’s a good chance he’ll be back in the lineup by the end of July, assuming he doesn’t need a rehab assignment. Anything more severe than that, however, would likely push his return into August.

Verdict: Stash

Kurtz’s upside is simply too good to justify dropping him right now. Even in a worst-case scenario, he should be back by late August, which would still give fantasy managers roughly a month of elite production. That said, keep a close eye on any updates that come out during or immediately after the All-Star Break, as they should provide a much clearer picture of his timeline and help you plan your first base situation accordingly.

Ryan Helsley – RP Baltimore Orioles

Ryan Helsley said there is no ligament damage to his UCL, just inflammation. Similar to his last IL stint. Helsley said he doesn’t plan to throw until August to give his elbow time to rest.

Helsley said he’s glad he doesn’t require surgery now and hopes it stays that way

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) July 12, 2026

The good news is that Helsley doesn’t have any structural damage in his elbow, and the Orioles already have a plan in place for him to resume throwing in a few weeks. Given that, it might seem like an easy decision to stash him for a late-season run. Not so fast. As mentioned earlier, this is a recurring issue, with the symptoms mirroring what he dealt with earlier this season. On top of that, he has a lengthy history of arm injuries, including a stress reaction in his elbow in 2021, as well as shoulder and forearm issues. At some point, you have to wonder if all of these injuries are connected. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before something more significant sidelines him again.

Verdict: Pass

Helsley is the team’s closer, and that alone makes him tempting to stash because saves are always valuable. While that’s true, we still don’t know exactly when he’ll begin throwing in August, and even a September return assumes everything goes according to plan. Once he’s back, the Orioles are also unlikely to use him on consecutive days right away. So you’re looking at stashing a player for another six weeks in the hope that he picks up a handful of saves down the stretch. Personally, I’d rather find someone who can help me accumulate saves now, especially with the fantasy trade deadline approaching, and then use free agency to rebuild whatever depth I gave up in a deal.

Garrett Crochet – SP Boston Red Sox

Garrett Crochet won’t begin throwing yet, Chad Tracy said.

He had a scheduled reevaluation of his shoulder today, and it showed that he is “improving,” per Tracy. But not enough to take that next step.

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) June 22, 2026

That was as of three weeks ago, and with the latest update here, he still has not yet been cleared to begin throwing. We will be finished with the All-Star Break, and he has yet to pick up a baseball, making this a complete catastrophe of an injury. Assuming he can begin throwing by the end of July (which isn’t a guarantee by any means), he will likely need at least one month of recovery and rehabilitation before competitively pitching again. From playing catch to varying stages of long toss to side sessions, bullpen sessions, live-bullpen sessions, and an extensive rehab assignment, it will be an uphill climb for a team that may not be in the playoff hunt in September.

Verdict: Pass

As hard as it may be to drop your early-round pick, he is doing nothing while on your roster. Even when he does return, will he be on a full workload or a pitch count? In the meantime, there are players like his teammate Jake Bennett who could be league-winning adds that propel you to a title. It’s time to move on.

Roman Anthony – OF Boston Red Sox

Roman Anthony UPDATE! Report of seeing a hand specialist accurate? Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow joins!
Breslow: "Unfortunately, this is just an injury that is taking longer than expected to heal, but by all accounts it sounds like we are on the right track" #RomanAnthony #update pic.twitter.com/0jIpGQ3nhM

— WEEI (@WEEI) July 9, 2026

What makes this entire situation weird is that the Red Sox sent him down to Fort Myers for additional rehab and recovery. After having listened to this interview with Chris Cotillo, it feels like there is frustration brewing here between both player and team. This injury has taken an incredibly long time to heal, and while publicly Boston’s words have been supportive and patient, their actions speak otherwise. They want Anthony to focus solely on healing here, and I get a sense that there have been distractions. That said, we’ve seen him do fielding drills and work out, but until he can grip a bat, there isn’t much else they can do here.

Verdict: Stash

For now, I suggest that fantasy baseball managers continue to stash Roman Anthony. He has immense upside, and the hope is that this move to Florida is a wake-up call. Assuming that I’m not reading too much into what’s happening here, we are getting close to the end of a usual timeline for a partially torn tendon, and visits with specialists haven’t revealed anything new. Let’s give everyone the benefit of the doubt here and get back on track, possibly by mid-August.