Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

Gallen took a major step back last year, but it's tough not to blame the injuries. He missed time with forearm, elbow, and hamstring injuries and the quality of nearly every one of his pitches declined. He looked like a prime bounce-back candidate, but he's already behind schedule because of bursitis in his shoulder. If you believe that Gallen's decline last year was due to his injuries and that he won't miss much time this year, then he should be drafted as a low-end No. 2 starter. When he's right, his fastball, changeup, and curveball are all outstanding, and he can pile on the strikeouts with ease. But you'd be foolish not to acknowledge the injury risks, and if you do draft Gallen, make sure you have a deep staff behind him.