Mariners’ Fantasy Preview: August 11 – August 17

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next

Jun 29, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman

Adam Lind

(26) reacts to a hit during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre. The Chicago White Sox won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays also face a tough group of pitchers, as after getting both Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma in Seattle, they are slated to face Chris Sale on Sunday the 17th at U.S. Cellular Field.

That being said, not all news coming from north of the border is bad.

Injuries

It has been excruciating having my two best hitters on the DL (in addition to Tanaka because I sure know how to pick ’em), but Edwin Encarnacion may finally be on his way back.

He began a rehab assignment last night at Dunedin, and according to Bluejays.com, the slugger who dominated opposing pitchers and fantasy owners in May and June may be back next week. Keep that in mind before picking up another 1B/DH if he has sat more or less forgotten for the last four weeks in your DL slot.

Meanwhile, Adam Lind (32.3%) has made it through his own minor league tune-up safely, and he will rejoin the team on Monday. Considering all the first baseman carnage in recent weeks (Paul Goldschmidt, Allen Craig, and Eric Hosmer to name a few), Lind’s value, and OWN%, could rapidly rise once the “DL15” tag is removed from his name. If you need someone at that position, he is certainly worth a look; just make sure you act sooner rather than later.

Closer Trouble

Meanwhile, Casey Janssen (100%) has been less than stellar in the weeks since the All-Star Break.

Whether that nefarious ailment from the Dominican Republic left any lasting effects or not, Janssen has not been the same shutdown 9th inning man that he was the first half of the year. With just 10 points in his last 10 games and plenty of negative outings in that stretch, he is as much a liability as an asset right now.

Relief help is one of the most difficult to acquire, especially in leagues that differentiate between SP and RP slots, but if you have room on your bench, a low-end closer like Chad Qualls (48.5%) or Jake Petricka (47.6%) or even a non-closer like Dellin Betances (47.9%) would be a nice safety valve in case Janssen completely falls off a cliff and outings like Friday (.2 IP, 4H, 3 ER, L, BS) become the norm.