Seven months after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery that left him on the Red Sox’ disabled list for the entire season, Vazquez has been cleared to play for Mayaguez, a winter ball team in Puerto Rico. He’s serving as exclusively a designated hitter, with a goal of getting about 100 at-bats during the 42-game schedule. (Scott Lauber - BostonHerald.com)
Fantasy Impact
Keeping an eye on Vazquez's recovery from Tommy John surgery is less about his specific fantasy value (which is likely to be limited), and more about the dominoes that may fall around him. A fully healthy Vazquez could provide Boston with the opportunity to trade prized prospect Blake Swihart in an effort to upgrade other parts of the team, namely the starting rotation. Also, if Vazquez is behind the plate full time for the Red Sox the current members of the starting rotation could see a boost in value as Vasquez is considered a top notch defender and signal caller.