What should fantasy owners do with Jason Kipnis on the DL?
He served as the lone All-Star representative for his team in the 2015 mid-summer classic. His batting average currently sits fifth in the American League overall at .326n. He ranks first in the American League in hits with 132 of them. He is the second baseman for the Cleveland Indians, and has been one of the best players at the position in real and fantasy baseball this season.
But now the Tribe will have to do without Jason Kipnis for the next couple of weeks.
The club announced on Monday that Kipnis will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation and tenderness. Triple-A second baseman, Jose Ramirez, will be filling in while Kipnis recovers. This news presents a couple problems for fantasy owners as to what exactly the they and the Indians will be missing out on.
Kipnis has significant numbers in every offensive category in 2015:
- 6 home runs
- 6 triples
- 31 doubles
- 39 RBI
- 11 stolen bases
- 66 runs scored
These impressive totals have given him a 2015 slash line of .326/.401/.477.
Kipnis is 97% owned. Among second baseman in fantasy leagues, he ranks 7th overall in the majors, and 5th overall in the American League. With the news of his trip to the DL, the ownership percentages are at risk of taking a slight hit. However, most that own Kipnis will merely resort to a temporary benching or a move to the DL. If any moves are made, they will most likely vary among fantasy roster holders. We’re in the midst of many fantasy trade deadlines, but it’s hard to justify adding a significant piece with Kipnis only expected to miss two to three weeks.
What’s more likely is owners will look to their waiver wire to find a fill in for Kipnis during what’s expected to be a brief stint on the DL. Owners can look for names like Logan Forsythe, Delino DeShields, Jace Peterson, Brandon Phillips and Rougned Odor among others as potential part-time replacements for the injured Kipnis.
James Zeankowski is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from James, check out his archive and follow him @tvwizard85.
