Joey Butler

Outfielder Joey Butler is hitting .200 (4-for-20) with one home run in Cactus League play.

Fantasy Impact

The 30-year-old needs to step up his game if he is to make the Indians' Opening Day roster. He was a valuable waiver pickup last year, posting a .898 OPS in May and .795 OPS in June before slumping to .482 OPS (July), .440 OPS (Aug) and .222 OPS (Sept). He finished the season on a high by taking both Mark Buehrle and Drew Hutchison deep in his 3-for-4, six-RBI final game for the Rays.

The Indians claimed LF Joey Butler from the Rays on Monday.

Fantasy Impact

The acquisition of Joey Butler will give another option for the Indians' depleted outfield. The 29-year-old posted a .276/.326/.416 slash line over 88 games for the Rays in 2015. The Indians DFA'd LHP Jayson Aquino to clear a roster spot.

Joey Butler went 0 for 4 and struck out four times in the Rays 3-2 loss to the Yankees on Saturday. He is now hitting .299 for the year and is now 4 for his last 33 (.121 BA) in his last nine games.

Fantasy Impact

This is the first time he has seen his average dip below .300 since the end of May. We all knew that at some point the rookie was going to struggle as do most people coming up from the minors. Whats more alarming from a fantasy view is Grady Sizemore has started to cut into his playing time. Leave Butler on the waiver wire for now until he starts to heat up and starts to play more consistently.

Joey Butler broke up Carlos Carrascos bid for a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth Wednesday night. With two strikes, Butler hit a line drive right over the leaping glove of Jason Kipnis which also drove in Asdrubal Cabrera for the Rays only run of the game.

Fantasy Impact

Butler had been sitting the last three games in favor of the newly acquired Grady Sizemore. Butler had started to see his batting average come down as he was hitting .250 in his last nine games. For the season he is hitting .316 with 6 home runs and 21 RBI.

Joey Butler has been on a nice offensive run in the month of June batting nearly .350 with three home runs, four doubles, 11 RBI, nine runs, four walks, 18 strikeouts and five stolen bases.

Fantasy Impact

Butler has been everything plus more that the Rays have needed when they called him up back in the beginning of May. He has shown he can bat anywhere in the line up and can hit for power as well as steal a bag or two when needed. For the fact he can stuff a stat sheet, he should be owned in all leagues and if he still sitting on the waiver wire, go and grab him.