Austin Barnes showcases versatility as defensive substitute
by Eric Westlund | Dodgers Correspondent | Sun, Apr 30th 1:40am EDT
Austin Barnes, the Dodgers' backup catcher, entered Saturday's game against the Phillies as part of a double switch in the eighth inning, replacing Chase Utley at second base. After striking out in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the eighth, he played a pivotal role in a ninth-inning game-winning rally. The Dodgers entered the final frame trailing 5-2 before tying it up on three straight solo homers. After a strikeout, Barnes singled with one out to get aboard as the winning run, and he eventually came around to score following singles by Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez.
Fantasy Impact:
Barnes has now appeared one time each at second and third base, and his versatility is an interesting wrinkle in his skill set. Barnes would be a very interesting fantasy catcher if his team was thin enough to need him more often in the infield. Both of his positions are covered multiple times over, however, so Barnes's only path to fantasy relevance would be an injury to starting catcher Yasmani Grandal.
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