The Dreaded Injury Bug

Hoping to see more of this, once Nats' Rendon is off the D.L.

So, I told myself that I would not tinker with my Fantasy Baseball roster this time (in my 3rd Fantasy Baseball experience), but my players keep falling victim to the dreaded injury bug.

I lost a close week in a week match-up against this one team 316-308, this week is already looking like a nightmare comparably as I only have scored 24 points in two days! The next lowest in the league for Week 2 has 72, while i'm losing this week 119-24!

Looking back at all the injuries to this point...

• SP- Homer Bailey (CIN) - still on 15-day DL, released him.

• SP- Jose Fernandez (MIA) - On DL indefinitely until probably June -- holding onto him for big points later, if all works out well from his rehab.

• 2B- Anthony Rendon (WAS) - On 15-day DL, currently on my bench, I plan to keep him, because once he's back he'll be right up near the top of the game in second basemen.

• OF- Rusney Castillo (BOS) - I had him, thinking alright! he might do something on a lower level of sorts of an impact like fellow Cuban Yasiel Puig did for the Dodgers in 2013. Then noticed that his opening series, he did nothing, then to read that he was in Triple-A to start season, I decided to take a chance & let him go to get someone now in Lorenzo Cain. Come to find out Castillo now injured his shoulder on a diving catch... so it was a good move for now, but I will have to keep my eye on him & snag him when he's coming back up to the Majors.

• C- Yan Gomes (CLE) - This is a guy you definitely want for a catcher, the problem is my Detroit Tigers had to injure him, sliding into home plate; Result? 6-to-8 weeks with a sprained knee. I had to release him, especially since I have other injuries & slumps all over the place.

• SP - Alex Cobb (TB) - Opened season & currently on D.L.; he was one of my higher draft picks for starting pitchers, I will keep him. Cobb was always a risk due to frequent trips to the list every year... but he's always rewarding when he pitches.

• I have a few guys that have been banged up & DTD (day to day) in Andrew McCutchen & Yordana Ventura.

• SP - Henderson Alvarez (MIA) - Signed him recently, while I dropped Bailey, has bad outing & is now on Disabled List -- Are you kidding me? Come on down Carlos Martinez of the Cardinals!

For my team named the Gotham City Rogues, they have been looking less like superheroes, and more like guys that are carrying a ton of Kryptonite on their backs... for that injuries have not been my only problem, bad slumps right now have plagued the team as well.

I signed Devon Travis from Toronto (former Tiger prospect, current future star) to help out with the 2B situation with Anthony Rendon hurt. At shortstop I have Alexei Ramirez (usually a slow starter anyways) while I have the usual dependable Erick Aybar in my 2B/SS slot. For a couple days, Alcides Escobar has been a free agent & has been producing for the hot Kansas City Royals, but Ramirez & Aybar are in the same area of most Fantasy Baseball lists, so I stalled on making a move, but I finally got fed up & decided to cut Aybar (who was batting .208 with only one run). Eventually, I will have a tough decision to make when Rendon returns, I will either have to cut Escobar or Ramirez, or hold both, and let one of my outfielders go.

I'm probably making my outfield problem bigger than it is, due to the fact that you can always find an outfielder to replace another, compared to premium positions where good 2B & good SS are much harder to find. The problem is that I'm sitting on Gregory Polanco & Marcell Ozuna, waiting for them to break out, Ozuna is the safer choice since he already hit 20+ HR's last season, but Polanco has probably a higher ceiling... then again, it usually takes a guy a couple seasons to take over -- So Polanco will likely be the odd man out if he doesn't click soon, plus he strikes out too much & his OBP (on-base percentage) is low.

Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte & Lorenzo Cain are keepers, they are not going anywhere. I really can't believe that I found Cain out there, that's a good nugget to have, especially if he stays healthy. McCutchen cut his dreads & suddenly is suffering Sampson-like consequences in his batting average, as he is currently below the Mendoza Line.

On the fence with Shin-Soo Choo. If Choo can rebound to the Choo we remember in Cleveland or even Cincinnati than great! The thing is he has not done anything, has been hurt & banged up, and not showing much at the plate right now -- he's taking up space, and although Nori Aoki (of the Giants) is not anywhere as great when both are at their peaks, but Aoki is seeing the ball really well right now, consistently putting up points in Fantasy Baseball right now. How long do I dare wait? 

Of course, I signed Steve Pearce and he suddenly does squat for me -- but I like his power & believe that he can do much of the same this season (like he did in 2014) if given the chance; At the same time, I have to remember he was not an original draft pick of mine, so he is expendable.

I need my catcher Devin Mesoraco to step up, he's not going anywhere too soon though, unless his season becomes an obvious disaster, but having to release Gomes already, I need to keep Mesoraco. I will keep an eye out for a catcher just in case, keep the guy in utilities & bench, and if Mesoraco after the All-Star break is a complete bust, than go with the other option & search for a big bat at any position to help offense.

My latest moves....

• Released - 2B/SS- Erick Aybar (LAA), SP- Henderson Alvarez (MIA) & RP-Glen Perkins (MIA). The reason I released Perkins, I already have a reliever in Craig Kimbrel, and Perkins has only played in two games since opening day, with one save, the other being a negative outing; With the Twins being probably in less Save opportunities in a much-improved division, Perkins won't be of much value to me.

• Signed - SS- Alcides Escobar (KC), P/RP- Carlos Martinez (STL) & RP- Brian Boxberger (TB). Escobar's so-so batting average has always bothered me, where Aybar for Angels was usually higher, but Aybar is doing squat right now, and right now -- I have to do better with who's hot right now! Boxberger has three saves already for Tampa Bay, and Tampa will have starting pitchers & a more grinding lineup than Minnesota to keep giving Boxberger opportunities -- Perkins is worthless to me, if he's only to give me a few points a week. For example, Boxberger has scored 23 points up to this point, Perkins? Only 4 points, that is the difference of me starting the first week 0-1 & instead being 1-0.

My Early MVP's

• SP- Max Scherzer (WAS) & 1B- Adrian Gonzalez, but wishing I didn't blank on the 3rd overall pick (after the top two picks were Clayton Kershaw & Mike Trout) which I took Andrew McCutchen instead of Miguel Cabrera, who I felt would start slow, and then go on to have his best season since 2012. He was almost my pick for A.L. MVP this year, but stayed safe with Trout. Of course, Cabrera wins A.L. Player of the Week in first week. Gonzalez has done very well though, Todd Frazier had a good week as my 3B, and my other corner guy is Freddie Freeman. 

My team has a chance to show more upside this season with players like Scherzer, A-Gonz, Freeman, Frazier, Shields, Cobb, Kimbrel, Rendon, McCutchen, Marte, Gio Gonzalez & Ozuna -- so I'm definitely not throwing in the towel...

...but damn you, dreaded injury bug!!!