We’ve had a wild few days in the baseball world, from a heavyweight star going down for the count, to guys brawling toe-to-toe like boxers. Here are the latest injuries, debuts and, in this case, suspensions, and how they might affect your fantasy teams.
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Say it Ain’t so Mike Trout
The near unanimous best player in both real and fantasy baseball, Trout is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks following surgery on a torn thumb ligament he suffered while stealing a base. It’s his first ever trip to the DL, and needless to say it’s a tough pill to swallow for fantasy owners, who likely spent a No. 1 pick, or huge chunk of change, to nab Trout this season. Prior to the injury, he was piling up his typical ridiculous, otherworldly stats, slashing .337/.461/.742 while offering both power (16 homers) and speed (10 stolen bases). That’s not exactly production you replace off the waiver wire.
Trout’s injury likely means more playing time for Ben Revere, who may very well be the anti-Trout when it comes to hitting. So far he has a decidedly unintimidating batting line of .212/.226/.327 across 106 plate appearances. Revere is a virtual zero in the power department, seeing as Trout already more than doubled up Revere’s career home run total of seven. But he offers plenty of potential on the base paths, swiping 14 bags last year, and a career-high 49 in 2014. The speed alone makes him a solid pickup in deep leagues, and as a career .283 hitter with a low strikeout rate, perhaps he can make his batting average respectable with regular playing time.
Eric Young Jr. was called up from Triple-A for added outfield depth and fits a similar speed-only mold as Revere. Although he batted leadoff on Tuesday, he’s not expected to play every day, so he’s only worth a look in the deepest of formats. Still, Young was hitting an excellent .354/.419/.528 with 15 stolen bases in the minors, so should Revere struggle, or if Cameron Maybin is sidelined for a while, Young could carve out a more consistent role.
Bryce Harper Needs to Work on Throwing Helmets
Harper and Hunter Strickland were given suspensions of four and six games, respectively, for Monday’s bench-clearing brawl, that will primarily be remembered for Harper’s poor attempt to hit Strickland with his batting helmet. It’s pretty clear that Strickland beaned Harper as retaliation for home runs Harper hit three years ago. Pitchers have long memories, I guess. Hooray, baseball’s unwritten rules?
Both players have appealed, but given their obvious intentions and history, it’s unlikely the suspensions are reduced much, if it all. Still, for Harper owners, you can breathe a sigh of relief as the punishment could have been much worse if MLB wanted to make a statement. Last year, Rougned Odor was suspended eight games (reduced to seven), for his infamous throwdown with Jose Bautista. Harper is in the middle of a monster campaign, having already compiled 15 dingers, 44 runs, 41 RBIs and a 1.076 OPS. The only blemish is a zero in the stolen bases department, but you’re not exactly complaining about those numbers.
Eric Skoglund Impresses in Debut
Danny Duffy became yet another pitcher to hit the DL, and is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks with an oblique strain. Duffy is in the midst of a mixed season, putting together a 3.54 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. He’s experienced some reduced velocity, resulting in just an 18.8% strikeout rate, down from 25.7% in 2016. On the bright side, he’s shown flashes of his previous punchout prowess at times, and still possesses an impressive 11.7% swinging-strike rate. Given his extended absence, it’s understandable to drop him in standard formats, but he’s worth holding onto in deep ones in case he can conjure up some of last year’s magic when he returns.
Duffy’s injury has opened the door for Eric Skoglund, who had a successful major league debut against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night, throwing 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball while striking out five. Count Miguel Cabrera among those impressed. However, the 24-year-old isn’t to be confused with a Jose Berrios type prospect. Across eight Triple-A starts prior to his call-up, he had a modest 4.53 ERA with a 21.7% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate. For now, he’s a deep league flyer, but keep tabs on him to see if he can keep things going.
Hello, David Paulino
With Joe Musgrove missing a start with shoulder discomfort, the 23-year-old Paulino will get the ball on Wednesday night. His 2017 Triple-A numbers aren’t anything to write home about — a 4.50 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 21.0% strikeout rate, and 14.5% walk rate. However, last year he had a 2.00 ERA with 106 strikeout and 19 walks in 90 innings across three minor league levels. That’s more like it!
Musgrove is expected back his next turn up, so even if Paulino pitches well, his stay may be a temporary one. But given the Houston Astros’ rotation issues this season, he could get a chance to stick around. Take a speculative stab at him in deep formats, but there’s plenty of room for growth if he can bring last year’s strikeouts to the table.
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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.
