To say that injuries have made an even greater impact on the fantasy baseball season this year than they have in years past would be a huge understatement. The 10-day DL has created quite a stir this year and while yes, managers have been much quicker at pulling the trigger and placing players on the 10-day DL, the majority of bumps and bruises we’ve seen this year probably would have landed most players on the DL even if we were in the days of yore where the 15-day DL was the primary option. Those five days really haven’t been the difference-maker people might think.

The abundance of injuries has rightfully caused most fantasy owners to blow off waiver priority altogether and here at the midpoint of the season, most have probably blown through a substantial portion of their FAAB budget as well. Two leagues in which I play – Mixed LABR and the SiriusXM Host League – have done just that to me and when I sit down every Sunday night to look at who’s available, I have to decide whether placing a small bid on what’s left is even worth it. Most weeks, the answer is no.

However, when hit with so many impactful injuries, one has to look towards the All Star break as a potential respite and a time to regroup. You’ve been so crazed over adding and dropping a number of short-term band-aids that it’s easy to lose sight of just how much help is on the horizon. It’s time to give the free agent pool a break and start looking more towards who is coming back, whether it’s for your team or for an opponent’s. The following list is of players who should be back by the first week after the All Star break at the latest. If you own any of them, you know you can wait it out without blowing any more of your FAAB budget and if you don’t, you now have several, more legitimate, trade targets on whom you can focus.

Chris Davis, 1B BAL – He’s been throwing and hitting for a few days now and says that he is pain-free. The hope is that the Orioles activate him from the DL prior to the All Star break, but the team is apparently still deciding. He’s coming off sooner than later though and will hopefully provide you with home runs and RBI. You obviously know you’ll have to concede some batting average, but the boost in the counting stats should easily offset that.

Marcus Semien, SS OAK – The A’s seem to be happy with Franklin Barreto at shortstop right now, but there’s no reason to think Semien wouldn’t replace a struggling Matt Chapman at third base immediately upon activation. He offered up some good pop and even a touch of speed earlier in the season and should be able to do so once again. You shouldn’t expect huge totals, but given what’s likely sitting on your waiver wire right now, he should be able to provide better across-the-board help.

Brad Miller, SS TB – The Rays have yet to indicate what role Miller will take on once he returns, but with his multi-position eligibility, he should be able to fill a hole somewhere on your roster. At worst, he doesn’t have a starting job with Tim Beckham at second base and Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, but he should see some work at the DH spot on days Corey Dickerson is playing the outfield. He offers some decent home run power, though, just like Davis, it will come at the expense of some batting average.

Mike Trout, OF LAA – If you’ve been waiting on his return, your lineup is about to get a whole lot better and very quickly too. There’s probably a bit of concern as to what the injury will do to his power production at first, but given the talent level, it shouldn’t be long before he’s banging ‘em over the fence. His 16 home runs and 10 stolen bases over just 47 games is better than what most have provided in 80-plus games of their own, so just imagine how much of an increase your team’s production will get once he returns. He’s probably better than any combination of five players sitting on your waiver wire, so just be patient. He’s almost back.

Dexter Fowler, OF STL – The Cardinals are starting to kick the tires on trades for a potential playoff push, so when Fowler returns to the leadoff spot, there’s a good chance he’ll have even more firepower hitting behind him. The club is going to give him until after the break to allow his heel to fully recover and that should certainly help with his overall game. Look for a boost in runs scored, for sure, and let’s hope he’s feeling good enough to start augmenting your steals total as well.

Starling Marte, OF PIT – OK, so it’s not an injury he’s coming back from, but that should actually make it a little more enticing. His power might come into question as he’s now off the PEDs, but his speed is still very much intact. He should provide a nice boost in steals and runs scored and should the Pirates bat him somewhere between second and fifth, he should also see some nice RBI opportunities as well. He’s been tough to stash in some leagues, especially with the number of injuries this year, so if he’s out there, it’s definitely the time to grab him.

Madison Bumgarner, SP SF – Nothing like having an ace come back to help anchor your rotation for the second half of the season. The shoulder injury might inhibit his command initially, but MadBum shouldn’t take long at all to fall back in line with the rest of the elite hurlers out there. Given the Giants pathetic offense this season, wins may be tough to build up, but the help your ratios and strikeouts will get should be huge for your second half push. If you don’t own him and the team that does is struggling, you may want to make a legitimate offer now while there’s still time.

Dallas Keuchel, SP HOU – He was pitching like an absolute beast before the neck/vertebrae issues sent him to the DL for a second time this season. The Astros have given him a significant amount of time to heal and the hope is that they’ve found a much more permanent solution this time around. Given the nature of the injury, a recurrence is still very much possible, but since he is likely to return after the All Star break, you should get more than enough time from him in what’s left of the season to make an impact on your fantasy rotation and stats. And with the way the Astros bats have been wailing on pitching, you should also see a nice influx in wins in addition to the help with strikeouts and your ratios.

Aaron Sanchez, SP TOR – He’s actually expected to start this weekend, so the potential impact should come immediately. The trainers have had more than enough time to handle the blisters and potential finger problems, so hopefully this is the last we hear of Sanchez missing time. The strikeout rate is average, but he should still be able to offer consistent help in all the other pitching categories, except for saves, of course. He was highly-touted coming into the season so there’s a long way to go before he redeems himself, but given his skill set, he will be a much better addition to your pitching staff than any fourth-rate starter still sitting on your waiver wire.

Danny Salazar, SP CLE – He’s still just a stash for right now, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t want to take a chance on Salazar for the second half of the season. The club is still stretching him out to be a starter and he’s always been a big contributor for strikeouts. If he’s fixed the mechanical issues that have plagued him in the first half, he’ll be an outstanding addition, but it might take him a start or two to get back into a groove. You have to remember the pedigree and the preseason expectations. He obviously won’t fulfill all of them, but as a second-half contributor, I’d take him over almost anyone sitting out there on the wire.

Kyle Hendricks, SP CHC – I never expected him to repeat last year’s performance, so the disappointment of a lost first-half shouldn’t linger. Look ahead to what he can provide, not what he didn’t do for you. Consider him a mid-level starter, not someone who can lead your staff. If you go in with hedged expectations, he should still be able to deliver decent help for your ratios with some slightly above-average strikeout totals. You’re looking for wins and some ratio help here, first and foremost. Any augmentation to your strikeout totals should be considered gravy at this point. He’ll also make for some real nice trade bait at the deadline as there will be several contenders in your league looking for some pitching stability.

Zach Britton, RP BAL – Chasing saves on the waiver wire has been a nightmare this season as we’ve seen far too many issues with closers this season. Manager Buck Showalter has already said that Britton will return to the closer’s role, so while you don’t want to give up Brad Brach just yet, it shouldn’t be long before Britton is back to doing what you originally drafted him for. Saves, strikeouts and help for your ratios is on the horizon here, so get ready to activate him for your starting lineup as soon as he is available.