Nelson Cruz finally shed his “Quadruple-A” nickname in 2009, crushing 33 HRs and swiping 20 bases for the Texas Rangers. He followed up with a 2010 campaign that included 22 HRs and 17 steals, while increasing his batting average from .260 in ‘09 to .318 in ‘10.
It’s probably also important to note Cruz has missed a total of 88 games over the past two seasons. A sprained ankle landed him on the DL, while various other injuries cost him a total of 34 games in 2009, while three trips to the DL in 2010 forced him to miss 54 games due to hamstring issues...
After batting just .181 with one homer over 94 June at-bats, rookie sensation Jason Heyward’s batting average fell from .292 (on May 31) to .251 following last Saturday’s 0-for-4 game.
Heyward’s recent ineffectiveness can be blamed on a lingering thumb injury that’s been bothering him since late May. Instead of continuing to let him play through the pain, the Braves decided to place the 20-year-old on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 27.
Heyward’s injury won’t require surgery, and he’s expected to be back in the lineup after the All-Star Break.
While his long-term value is through the roof, his short-term value can easily be replaced with one of the following waiver wire fliers:
The first round of Major League Baseball’s 2010 first-year player draft featured many unexpected surprises, including the position at which Bryce Harper was drafted.
As expected, the Washington Nationals made the 17-year-old Junior College standout the No. 1 overall pick Monday night. Unexpectedly, they selected the switch hitter as an outfielder instead of a catcher, the position at which Harper has played the most.
Ultimately, the Nationals decided Harper’s 80 raw power, excellent bat speed and strong arm would play best in right field. Keeping him at catcher would be extremely risky and delay his major-league debut by at least three years...
In addition to the hype surrounding the MLB draft on Monday night and Stephen Strasburg’s major-league debut on Tuesday night, fantasy owners now have Mike Stanton’s long-awaited arrival to look forward to.
Stanton’s absence from Double-A Jacksonville’s lineup on Sunday almost certainly confirms this, as the young outfielder is expected to join the Marlins on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Fantasy managers have known about Stanton for a while, but his expected call up begs the question: What will his fantasy impact be in 2010?
Miss any of Wednesday night’s action? Don’t fret. Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight is here to recap all things fantasy relevant, starting with game No. 23 on our summer-long journey…
Game No. 23 – New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
The first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader was quick and painless, thanks to fantastic pitching performances from Rick Porcello and Javier Vazquez.
Porcello loaded the bases via two singles and a walk in the second, but escaped the inning without any further damage. It was smooth sailing after that, as Porcello dazzled the Yankees with his sinking fastball and slider. He even mixed in an occasional curve, a pitch the Tigers have tried to limit in previous starts...
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
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