Major League Baseball is already getting warmed up, and it's not even officially summer yet. Just a few weeks in, and there has already been a lot of action on the diamond and in fantasy baseball leagues across the land.
Plenty of pro teams have seen stars fall from their line-ups while other players are showing a lot of potential, but the big question, of course, is how will all the MLB drama and dealings affect your fantasy baseball team?
As far as pitching is concerned, If you picked up Clay Buchholz at the beginning of the season and have been waiting on him to turn it around, then it's something you have probably come to regret it. A week ago, Buchholz only pitched three innings in Atlanta and gave up 8 walks for a career high in freebies. To make it worse, it was the fourth time this season that he gave up 6 ER in a game.
There's obviously something wrong with Buchholz, and on Wednesday, the Red Sox put him on the Disabled List for what they called a hyperextended left knee. Unfortunately the diagnosis doesn't shine any light on all the struggles he had before last week, so as a Buchholz owner, you have to cut him loose.
As in this case in the bigs, when one of your horses goes down, you have to get another on the field.
Here are a couple of hot arm's to consider for your rotation, as they have been improving their stock since the year started. Ryan Vogelsong who is 30% owned across Yahoo! Sports fantasy league, is gaining popularity with an ERA of 1.35 in his last six starts.
Collin McHugh is only at 18% but may turn out to be a great find for your rotation. He's delivering a 2.80 ERA this year with 50 Ks in 45 innings. If the Astros can give him some run support he could be a choice pick up.
On the other side of the ball, Joe Mauer has had a tough season hitting so far.
Mauer is hitting .267 with only 2 home runs this year, including an 0-for-4 performance with two strikeouts and a double play in a 3-1 loss to the Yankees last weekend. The Twins have averaged just 2.33 runs per game over that span, going 2-7. But, even though manager Ron Gardenhire insisted he's still not worried about Mauer, as a fantasy owner, you aren't forced to be optimistic like the Twin's chief.
"I don't worry about Joe. He's a hitter. He's going to come out of it. Everybody has scuffles throughout their career, but with Joe we haven't really seen it," Gardenhire told MLB.com.
Here are a couple of guys who are swinging a hot bat, and can replace Mauer in your lineup.
Adam Laroche is at %63 owned, and has been getting it done since coming off the DL for a quadricep injury. He says he is playing with urgency, and he's hitting .321 with 7 homers so far this year. He has walked 23 times.
James Loney, at %25, would also be a good pick up. He's batting .293 with 2 home runs and 13 doubles, compared to 6 for Mauer. He also has 28 RBI's, while Mauer has 15.
