Week 22 of Injured Players to Stash highlights five bounce-back candidates worth grabbing in redraft leagues who could swing the stretch run if everything breaks right. Shane Bieber returns to the Toronto rotation after Tommy John surgery, and despite limited spin, his pedigree and rehab progress scream upside in shallow rosters. Chase Burns is nearing a return for Cincinnati with elite strikeout potential and a breathtaking swing-and-miss profile. Adolis García could be a power/speed boost when back in Texas’ lineup, while Nolan Arenado and Hyeseong Kim offer low-risk, multi-category depth with recent hot trends and strong surrounding performances. Target IL spots and be ready to pounce as Week 22 unfolds.

These five targets emphasize how late-season value can come from rebound arms and versatile hitters. Bieber’s gear-up period and Toronto’s need create a plausible late-season spike. Burns’ 57 Ks in 34 1/3 innings signals a high ceiling if he opens up his rehab. García’s power-speed combo remains sweet for managers chasing counting stats. Arenado’s still-average line has sneaky upside in partial-season scenarios, while Kim’s Dodgers lineup gives him eligibility across multiple spots and a path to steady runs and steals when he returns.

Betts has anchored Dodgers defense at short, with a .984 fielding percentage and just six errors in 376 chances, keeping him at his premium position despite outfield struggles. Roberts weighed the idea of moving Betts but prefers stability at short as an organizational asset for fantasy value. A misplay by Teoscar Hernández in right during a 4-3 tilt with Colorado highlighted the defense gap LA is trying to shore up, while the club’s outfield depth remains a work in progress.

In the lineup, Conforto has cooled at the plate, and Edman and Kiké Hernández (IL) offer infield/outfield versatility that could blunt defensive concerns. The Dodgers’ offense still relies on Teoscar for power, with a key RBI double in the first inning of the same game. Ha-seong Kim is also out, x-factoring bullpen and field coverage. Betts’ current role anchors fantasy value, while Teoscar and Conforto carry volatility tied to bat timing and defensive alignment.

Fantasy takeaway: Betts at short remains a cornerstone, with little reason to chase a positional shuffle. Teoscar Hernandez stays a homer-or-die outfield option when his barrel is hot, Conforto represents a streaky but upside bat, and Edman/Kiké’s versatility adds depth for daily formats. Watch the outfield shifts and IL updates as LA balances defense and offense on the fly.

Bottom line: Betts’ job security at short bodes well for steady fantasy points; Teoscar offers ceiling potential in right; Conforto lurks as a buy-low if hitting improves; Tovar’s late win in Colorado hints at a sleeper spark in deeper or NL-only leagues.

The Dodgers face a defensive recalibration after a 4-3 walk-off loss to Colorado. Mookie Betts was back at shortstop on Tuesday, with Teoscar Hernández staying in right, as LA reassesses its infield-outfield balance. A postgame meeting among Roberts, Friedman, and Betts underscored Betts’s openness to returning to right field, a move that could stabilize the defense but might dampen his bat. Hernández’s defensive struggles — two errors and a -0.4 DEF WAR that ranks 64th among NL right fielders — continue to loom large over the lineup. If Betts slides back to the outfield, Freeland or Miguel Rojas would slide into short, while Hernández would shift to left to accommodate Conforto at the plate, whose current .190/.?/.? marks are the worst among players with at least 300 ABs. With utility options like Edman, Kim, and Kiké Hernández nearing returns from the IL, Roberts has built-in depth to mix and match as the season wears on.

Defensive efficiency could determine whether the Dodgers lean into stability or go for upside. Betts’s move to infield responsibilities has punished offense and increased mental load, making a balance between fielding and hitting crucial for postseason chances. The road ahead includes a rehab cadence for Kim, potentially back by early next week, which would ease rostering pressure and expand Roberts’s short-term options. The larger strategic question is whether the lineup can sustain offense while the defense stabilizes, especially if Hernández’s right-field performance remains a liability.

In this moment, the Dodgers are betting that a defensively steadier infield—whether Freeland, Rojas, or Hernández swapping to the outfield—will unlock Betts’s better-than-career hitting ability and keep Conforto from getting overwhelmed in a deteriorating batting average. The backstop on defense is clear, the backstop on offense is still improving, and the balancing act continues as managers and front office weigh risk and reward as the calendar turns toward late spring and the postseason horizon.

Week 21 in fantasy baseball centers on savvy IL stashes with upside for the stretch drive. Ryan Yarbrough returns to a Yankees rotation eager for stability after an oblique ailment, offering speculative late-season value if rehab goes clean. Landen Roupp looks poised to rejoin the Giants with strong strikeout metrics and favorable home/road splits, potentially anchoring a depth start. Colton Cowser carries power upside and outfield flexibility, but concussion issues keep him risky until late August. Jacob Wilson remains a hot target for AVG/OBP and run production as he nears activation from forearm surgery. Hyeseong Kim, a versatile Dodger with speed and middle-infield eligibility, may reclaim regular at-bats once back. Across the board, managers should consider brief IL stashes to boost stacks when playoff rosters tighten.

These five players each bring a different path to value: Roupp’s strikeout ability and pitcher-friendly home park; Yarbrough’s proven 2025 form with caveats on injury recovery; Cowser’s past power in a strong Orioles lineup; Wilson’s top-line batting average and OBP splash; Kim’s speed and multi-position eligibility in a potent Dodgers lineup. Owners in redraft leagues with IL slots will want to monitor rehab updates and activation timelines, ready to pounce as Week 21 turns into Week 22 and the playoff push accelerates.