The 30-year-old broke his leg in April 2016 and has not played for the Potters since, but continues working towards full recovery.
Ireland, who joined Stoke from Aston Villa in 2014, has been given a six-month deal, after his previous contract ran out in June.
"Stephen has been forced to put his career on hold after suffering a very serious injury in training through no fault of his own," chief executive Tony Scholes told the club's official website.
"He's working incredibly hard to get himself back to full fitness and we felt that it was only right to offer him a short-term contract to give him peace of mind while he continues with that process."