Time to Worry About Utley?
Chase Utley has rarely talked openly about injuries over the years, so to hear him acknowledge over the weekend that he has some concern about his ailing right knee is a bit troubling, especially coming off a season where he appeared just 115 games, his lowest such total since 2004.
The 32-year-old second baseman underwent an MRI last weekend which revealed patellar tendinitis, but he was given a cortisone injection on Friday after his knee failed to respond. While the Phillies are optimistic that the shot will get his recovery on track, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. hasn't dismissed the possibility that there could be more than tendinitis going on with the knee.
We'll learn more about his progress in the next few days, but the uncertainty surrounding Utley is unfortunate considering that many drafts are already underway. There's little doubt that Utley remains an elite player when he's actually on the field -- he had a .323/.436/.531 batting line and five home runs and 22 RBI last September, for example -- but increased concerns about his durability will likely cause him to drop on draft boards.
This is my own personal ranking system, but I'm prepared to put Utley fourth among fantasy second basemen behind Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia and Brandon Phillips. In fact, I wouldn't have any problem waiting for Ian Kinsler or Dan Uggla, either.
If you want a more complete look at our second base projections, check out Rotoworld's Online Draft Guide. You'll find close to 1,000 player profiles and projections, tiered rankings at each position, updated depth charts, ADP data, printable cheat sheets, customizable scoring features and more. It's the best decision you can make to be ahead of the game on draft day.
While fantasy owners continue to cross their fingers for Utley, let's take a look at some more news and notes from around spring training.
Down Goes Brown
Saturday was a bit of a double-whammy for Phillies fans. Just hours after the news about Utley, right field hopeful Domonic Brown fractured the hook of the hamate, a bone at the base of the hand near the wrist, during his first at-bat of the day. Brown was actually able to finish the at-bat and finally snapped his 0-for-15 hitless skid in the process, but the injury was confirmed after he left the game for an X-ray.
Brown is scheduled to see hand specialist Randall Culp on Monday and if surgery is recommended, as most expect, he would likely miss somewhere around 4-6 weeks. The injury is a tough blow for the top prospect and you can't help but wonder whether his power will be affected by the potential surgery, at least in the short term.
Of course, the silver lining of the situation is that Ben Francisco is off to a ridiculous start this spring. The 29-year-old outfielder is batting .364 (8-for-22) with two home runs and six RBI over his first eight Grapefruit League games. Granted, spring stats don't mean a whole lot, but our projection for Francisco (.265/.334/.449) isn't far off from what we had for Brown (.263/.320/.453) this season, anyway.
Francisco is unlikely to have much value in mixed leagues, but NL-only owners should obviously take note. Remember, he had 15 homers and 14 stolen bases in just 405 at-bats between the Indians and Phillies in 2009. He should hold his own in right field, at least until Brown is ready to contribute.
Twins Rotation Taking Shape
After naming Brian Duensing as a starter early last week, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire gave one of the final two rotation spots to Nick Blackburn over the weekend. His decision leaves Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey competing for the fifth starter job.
It's a shame, really, since Baker and Slowey offer far more upside than Blackburn from a fantasy perspective. While Blackburn has reached double-digit wins in each of the last three seasons, he has never averaged more than 4.47 K/9. He shouldn't have a place in mixed leagues unless we're talking about a favorable matchup in a streaming situation.
We've heard quite a few rumors about a potential trade involving Francisco Liriano, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune have picked up some chatter in recent days that the Twins are willing to deal Slowey. We'd much rather see Slowey go than Liriano, obviously, although it's difficult to know how much they'll get in return for someone who is a legitimate injury risk.
White Sox Lock Up Thornton
Matt Thornton has consistently flown under the radar as one of the best relievers in the sport despite compiling a 2.70 ERA and 245 strikeouts over 200 1/3 innings since the start of the 2008 season. Fortunately the White Sox know they have something pretty special here.
They rewarded his excellence Sunday by agreeing to a two-year, $12 million extension with a $6 million club option for 2014. The White Sox exercised his $3 million option for 2011 in October, so the new deal won't begin until 2012.
Thornton had eight saves last season and enters spring training as the favorite for the closer role, though the White Sox aren't quite ready to hand him the job outright. Last year's first-round pick Chris Sale is also a possibility for the gig, while Sergio Santos and Jesse Crain are in the periphery.
Chase Utley has rarely talked openly about injuries over the years, so to hear him acknowledge over the weekend that he has some concern about his ailing right knee is a bit troubling, especially coming off a season where he appeared just 115 games, his lowest such total since 2004.
The 32-year-old second baseman underwent an MRI last weekend which revealed patellar tendinitis, but he was given a cortisone injection on Friday after his knee failed to respond. While the Phillies are optimistic that the shot will get his recovery on track, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. hasn't dismissed the possibility that there could be more than tendinitis going on with the knee.
We'll learn more about his progress in the next few days, but the uncertainty surrounding Utley is unfortunate considering that many drafts are already underway. There's little doubt that Utley remains an elite player when he's actually on the field -- he had a .323/.436/.531 batting line and five home runs and 22 RBI last September, for example -- but increased concerns about his durability will likely cause him to drop on draft boards.
This is my own personal ranking system, but I'm prepared to put Utley fourth among fantasy second basemen behind Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia and Brandon Phillips. In fact, I wouldn't have any problem waiting for Ian Kinsler or Dan Uggla, either.
If you want a more complete look at our second base projections, check out Rotoworld's Online Draft Guide. You'll find close to 1,000 player profiles and projections, tiered rankings at each position, updated depth charts, ADP data, printable cheat sheets, customizable scoring features and more. It's the best decision you can make to be ahead of the game on draft day.
While fantasy owners continue to cross their fingers for Utley, let's take a look at some more news and notes from around spring training.
Down Goes Brown
Saturday was a bit of a double-whammy for Phillies fans. Just hours after the news about Utley, right field hopeful Domonic Brown fractured the hook of the hamate, a bone at the base of the hand near the wrist, during his first at-bat of the day. Brown was actually able to finish the at-bat and finally snapped his 0-for-15 hitless skid in the process, but the injury was confirmed after he left the game for an X-ray.
Brown is scheduled to see hand specialist Randall Culp on Monday and if surgery is recommended, as most expect, he would likely miss somewhere around 4-6 weeks. The injury is a tough blow for the top prospect and you can't help but wonder whether his power will be affected by the potential surgery, at least in the short term.
Of course, the silver lining of the situation is that Ben Francisco is off to a ridiculous start this spring. The 29-year-old outfielder is batting .364 (8-for-22) with two home runs and six RBI over his first eight Grapefruit League games. Granted, spring stats don't mean a whole lot, but our projection for Francisco (.265/.334/.449) isn't far off from what we had for Brown (.263/.320/.453) this season, anyway.
Francisco is unlikely to have much value in mixed leagues, but NL-only owners should obviously take note. Remember, he had 15 homers and 14 stolen bases in just 405 at-bats between the Indians and Phillies in 2009. He should hold his own in right field, at least until Brown is ready to contribute.
Twins Rotation Taking Shape
After naming Brian Duensing as a starter early last week, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire gave one of the final two rotation spots to Nick Blackburn over the weekend. His decision leaves Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey competing for the fifth starter job.
It's a shame, really, since Baker and Slowey offer far more upside than Blackburn from a fantasy perspective. While Blackburn has reached double-digit wins in each of the last three seasons, he has never averaged more than 4.47 K/9. He shouldn't have a place in mixed leagues unless we're talking about a favorable matchup in a streaming situation.
We've heard quite a few rumors about a potential trade involving Francisco Liriano, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune have picked up some chatter in recent days that the Twins are willing to deal Slowey. We'd much rather see Slowey go than Liriano, obviously, although it's difficult to know how much they'll get in return for someone who is a legitimate injury risk.
White Sox Lock Up Thornton
Matt Thornton has consistently flown under the radar as one of the best relievers in the sport despite compiling a 2.70 ERA and 245 strikeouts over 200 1/3 innings since the start of the 2008 season. Fortunately the White Sox know they have something pretty special here.
They rewarded his excellence Sunday by agreeing to a two-year, $12 million extension with a $6 million club option for 2014. The White Sox exercised his $3 million option for 2011 in October, so the new deal won't begin until 2012.
Thornton had eight saves last season and enters spring training as the favorite for the closer role, though the White Sox aren't quite ready to hand him the job outright. Last year's first-round pick Chris Sale is also a possibility for the gig, while Sergio Santos and Jesse Crain are in the periphery.