Six weeks remain in the regular season, and every IL stint carries season-ending implications in fantasy. The headline is Zack Wheeler’s blood clot in the shoulder, a wrench in the NL Cy Young conversation and a gut punch for that dream rotation. The Phillies haven’t set a timetable, but blood thinners and restframes make a return this year a high-stakes needle thread, with a postseason window feeling more plausible than a late-season push. The piece leans into the broader IL landscape, urging owners to stash potential difference-makers rather than chase only activation timelines.

Key targets cited include Yordan Alvarez’s rehab from a fractured hand, Chris Sale’s rehab arc from a fractured rib, and Jackson Chourio’s looming return from a hamstring issue. The column emphasizes prioritizing players whose timelines are hazy but could swing the balance once they’re back, and it frames IL stashing as a strategic bet on upside over guaranteed short-term gains.