We’ve seen the calendar flip to May, which is always a welcoming sign for those of us who reside in the Northeast. But the final days of April were none too kind to a couple clubs that endured some devastating and costly injuries.
Meanwhile, some of the young guns we mentioned last time are making a strong case that they deserve a permanent stay in “The Show.” It’s time to take a look at the latest news from around the league.
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Nationals Lose Adam Eaton
On Friday, Adam Eaton tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. It’s a tough blow for the Washington Nationals, as well as fantasy owners who spent a mid-round pick on the valuable outfielder.
After speculation that Eaton might not hit high in the order entering the season, Eaton quickly took over the leadoff spot and looked to be off to another fine season before the injury. He’s expected to need six-to-nine months to recover.
It will be difficult to replace the all-around contributions Eaton provides, but the first man up is Michael Taylor. Taylor has always shown the alluring combination of power and speed that fantasy owners covet, but he’s never quite been able to put it all together. Much of this has to do with his propensity for strikeouts, as shown by an ugly 32% strikeout rate across his career.
Taylor has had plenty of opportunities before, so it’s hard to imagine he’s going to shore up the strikeouts suddenly. But he’s still just 26 years old, and if he can remain a fixture in the lineup, he could very well do his best Eaton impression — minus the batting average.
In 2015, across 511 plate appearances, he slashed .229/.282/.358 with 14 home runs and 16 stolen bases. If you can stomach the potential sinkhole in batting average (he’s batting .229 this year), he’s worth a look in deep leagues if he hasn’t been snatched up.
But if Taylor fails to impress yet again, minor league call-up Rafael Bautista could be next in line. He may not have much power, but Bautista can do work on the basepaths — he stole 56 bases in Double-A last year. He should also do much better in the strikeout department.
This season, through 83 plate appearances in Triple-A, Bautista had a .291/.325/.354 line with a 14.5% strikeout rate. He isn’t worth a pickup in most leagues yet but is definitely one to keep an eye on if he supplants Taylor.
Meet the Mess
Here we go again. After the New York Mets curiously let Yoenis Cespedes play after nursing a sore hamstring, only to see him aggravate the injury and go on the DL, they decided to compound that mistake with Noah Syndergaard to much more disastrous consequences.
Last week, Syndergaard had his start pushed back due to biceps tendinitis, but said he felt fine following a bullpen session and refused to take an MRI. Well, as you undoubtedly know by now, they rolled him out on Sunday, and he left the game after just 1 1/3 innings with a partially torn lat. He’s out indefinitely and is expected to miss at least two months.
It’s a head-scratching saga that nearly everyone but the Mets could see coming, and yet here we are. If you’re a Syndergaard owner, all you can do is hold onto him and hope for a speedy recovery.
Reinforcements in Colorado
Out west, there are much more positive vibes going for the Colorado Rockies. After missing nearly a month of action, they got prized free agent acquisition, Ian Desmond, back from the DL, which is welcome news for those who stashed him in fantasy. David Dahl’s return also looms, although it sounds like the Rockies are extra cautious with their young outfielder. Maybe the Mets should take some notes?
While the return of Desmond, and future return of Dahl, is obviously great for the Rockies, it could prove a headache for fantasy owners. Gerardo Parra and Mark Reynolds are expected to be the big losers of the playing time pie, although, Reynolds’ hot start should keep him in the lineup on most days until Dahl returns.
Once the whole lot is healthy, though, the time crunch could ultimately affect everyone involved. Expect Desmond and Dahl to get the majority of the time, but it wouldn’t be surprising if manager Bud Black will use the situation to give occasional days off to all his outfielders, including Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez. If you’re an owner of Parra or Reynolds, monitor how playing time is distributed this week, but if you need to make a move, Parra is probably safe to drop.
How are Those Prospects Doing?
There’s been talk in Los Angeles that the Dodgers plan to demote Cody Bellinger when Joc Pederson returns from the DL, but his hot start could change their minds in a hurry. Through 32 plate appearances, Bellinger has a .345/.406/.655 line with two home runs.
If you took the plunge and snagged him in fantasy, he’s everything you’ve hoped for so far. Cross your fingers that the Dodgers find a way to keep him around, and continue giving him regular playing time.
Not too far away, Christian Arroyo might not be as hot as Bellinger, but he’s holding his own for the San Francisco Giants. One pleasant surprise has been the pop Arroyo has shown in the early going. He showed little power in the minors, but already has two bombs and is slashing .278/.297/.444.
It’s too early to say if the power will stick, but it’s a positive sign he’ll be able to hang in the majors. However, he remains more of a deep league asset.
Delino DeShields is Da Man Again!
If you’re one of my two readers who’ve been here since the very beginning, you know I’ve mentioned Delino DeShields in this space several times. Well, it took longer than expected, but it appears he’s finally taken over the leadoff spot for the Texas Rangers.
He’s already stolen three bases since the change (six games), with many more to come if he can hold the spot. As I’ve said before, in 2012 he swiped 101 bases in the minors. If you need some speed help, DeShields is indeed your man.
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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.
