The spirit of competition within a fantasy baseball league is always intense. Winning your league can almost be euphoric as, not only could you be collecting a trophy or some form of prize, but the bragging rights you have over your friends and co-workers will last a lifetime. Ok, maybe not a lifetime, but atleast the entire offseason.
Losing, on the other hand, stinks. It actually does a lot worse, but I’ll try and keep it PG for the kiddies reading at home. You can put in all the time in the world, but if your picks don’t pan out the way you hope, whether they’re from the draft or the free agent waiver wire, you could be in for a long and grueling season.
But I’ll tell you this….there’s nothing more frustrating than watching your fantasy season go down the crapper because of injuries. They happen to everyone and they occur all the time, but there are definitely some cases (and I can speak from experience here) where it seems that the injury bug has not only nested in your fantasy squad, but has also reproduced enough to tear down your entire team. With that, it’s time for me to keep you posted on the most significant injuries that we’ve seen this spring and what to expect in terms of fantasy impact.
Spring Training Injuries to Monitor
Albert Pujols, 1B STL — My elbow! My back! My elbow and my back! Nothing like some early spring stiffness to put the worry into fantasy leaguers, huh? We went through a little of this back in 2003 when Pujols was told that he would eventually require Tommy John surgery, but after only a minor procedure in 2008, it’s business as usual. Now we’ve got the back in play, but I don’t see it hindering Pujols from continuing his assault on major league pitching. He’ll sit out a few spring games which is no big deal, and then it’s right back to mashing. He will be fine the rest of the way and remains the consensus number one draft pick…in any league.
Jose Reyes, SS NYM — Folks that grabbed Reyes last season got smacked in the face last year and suddenly it doesn’t look much better for 2010. Reyes went from hitting a two-run triple on the first spring pitch he saw to getting scratched and sent back to New York for tests on his thyroid. The co-director of the New York Thyroid Center, Robert McConnell, said that the condition was nothing serious, but he did indicate that Reyes could be lost from baseball activities for the next month. With luck, that’ll put him on track for a mid April return, but you should be downgrading him on your draft boards. Between the thyroid and the hamstring, Reyes could be losing ground on where he is most valuable.
Joe Nathan, RP MIN — Now this is the last thing you want to see from your closer, especially since he just wrapped up some offseason surgery to remove bone chips from the same elbow with which he is currently struggling. “It’s at a spot right now where I definitely wouldn’t want to pick up a baseball,” said Nathan. “It’s very stiff, very sore.” There are rumors coming out of Minnesota that it’s just scar tissue build-up, but it still scares me away from him on draft day. Nathan had an MRI and a CT scan done today, but results won’t be available until Tuesday, so I won’t speculate too much. Bottom line for me is that this could remain an issue further on down the road, so if you’re looking for a top closer, try one of the other upper tier guys.
Brandon Webb, SP ARI — After back to back throwing sessions, all seemed well with Webb’s shoulder as he looks to make his way back from the injury that trashed his 2009 season. But the road to recovery can be a bumpy one and Webb is still experiencing problems that could have him start the season on the disabled list. If you get a chance to read Rotowire’s fantasy baseball magazine, there’s a great article in there from Will Carroll called The Clemens Conundrum, that discusses the severity of shoulder injuries and after reading that, I doubt I’d ever take Webb again. Sure, he might rebound and string together some nice outings, but if you’re looking for starting pitching, there are much less risky picks out there. You’re not going to get the Webb of old, so don’t fool yourself.
Russell Martin, C LAD — A groin in-jah-ree. A g-g-groin in-jah-ree. Ever see that Cheers episode? No? Well you’re missing out. Either way, things don’t look so good for the Dodgers backstop right now as Martin is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with a pulled groin. Originally, we were told the MRI results revealed a minor strain, but apparently, it’s a lot worse than we thought. Downgrade Martin on all draft sheets as he will obviously start the season on the DL. What’s worse is that, even when he does come back, the Dodgers will have to limit his playing time in order to keep him healthy. No way you can squat behind the plate for that long and still be effective as you’re making your way back. A.J. Ellis will take on starting duties with Brad Ausmus backing him up. Together, they don’t even make up a worthy fantasy catcher, so look elsewhere.
Alex Gordon, 3B KC — It just goes from bad to worse with this guy. After an injury plagued 2009, Gordon will be starting the 2010 season on the DL with a broken thumb. So much for the breakout, rebound season at the age of 26, huh? Gordon will eventually make it back and probably fairly early on, but he’s going to be someone you’ll want to target in the second half as opposed to drafting him. The thumb injury will certainly affect his swing and it could take him some time to find a groove at the plate. Monitor him the rest of the way, let someone else take a flier on him in the draft, and when it comes to stocking up in the second half, he should be a decent buy-low candidate.
Josh Hamilton, OF TEX — Can I tell you again that I’m not a fan of this guy? Please? OK, rather than re-type, I’ll just direct you here to see what my thoughts are. He actually made his Cactus League debut today and went 2 for 3, but I have a very strong feeling that Hamilton will suffer through a variety of ailments that will have his owners wishing they listened to me. With the emergence of guys like Nelson Cruz, Adam Lind and Andre Ethier, I’m sure you can find less risky sources of power in the outfield.
Shane Victorino, OF PHI — The Flyin’ Hawaiian will be making his debut on Tuesday after sitting out the weekend with a sore shoulder. If you ask him or Charlie Manuel, both will tell you he’s fine and there’s nothign to worry about. Me? Probably the same. This doesn’t seem to be anything too serious and the fact that he’s not a power guy makes me worry a little less. Victorino has improved his OBP each and every year he’s been in the bigs, has boosted his OPS as well, and shoul dbe fine for this season. He’ll probably sit in the 10 to 12 HR range again, but if he continues to get on base at the rate he does, we could be looking at his first 40 SB season. For me, the injury doesn’t affect his draft position and he should be considered a solid middle round 3rd outfielder.
Jair Jurrjens, SP ATL — This is more of a fantasy update than it is new news for you. In a previous article I discussed the extent of his shoulder problem and my thoughts on it, and now I’m reading that he’s ahead of schedule and will make his Grapefruit League debut this coming Thursday against the Yankees. It does not, however, change my level of trepidation with drafting the Braves righty. Sure, the inflammation could be gone. Sure, he could be ready on Opening Day. But to say that this won’t affect him throughout the season is a stretch. As I said before, he’s thrown a lot of innings and coul dbe headed towards trouble with a tired and sore shoulder. I stand by my belief that if you do draft him, hope for a run of great starts and then trade him while his value is high. If not, you coul dbe looking at a serious second half breakdown.
Cameron Maybin, OF FLA — I’m listing Maybin here just as a precautionary move. Over the weekend, the Florida outfielder strained his groin while rounding third base during a spring game versus the Cardinals. The injury doesn’t appear to be serious, but the Marlins don’t want to risk anything and are keepin ghim out of action for a few days. Maybin has always been touted as a potential 5 tool stud, so I can’t blame the team for erring on the side of caution. Keep an eye on it, but he should be fine for the season and remains a solid sleeper choice for the outfield.
There are definitely some other bumps and bruises out there, but nothing that seems too alarming. You know if there was something to stress, I’d be right on top of it with you, so for now, this seems to be the worst of it. Just make sure you’re keeping track of everything. Your fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets should alwyas be notated with bits of information like this. The last thing you want to hear on draft day is, “Good luck with that pick! He’s out for a month!”
Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!
Loading ...
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }