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Ben Rosener looks at the fantasy impact of recent injuries to both Los Angeles Dodgers infielder and outfielder Gavin Lux and Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
The offseason is officially no more, but Spring Training is here, and with it comes the daily influx of baseball news that fantasy managers have missed in the last few months. Lineup news, actual games happening, constant waiver wire moves, pitching assignments, and bullpen usage.
Baseball is back and so too is fantasy baseball, with drafts either starting in the near or not-too-near future for many. This column aims to cover any and all fantasy baseball news, big or small, and how it pertains to your fantasy team. Spring training or the regular season, it's covered here.
Has a player who’s usually been hitting in the middle of a lineup suddenly batting eighth or ninth for an extended period? The fantasy implications will be covered here. The same goes for injuries and injured placements and whether or not you should consider picking up a player who was recently called up. Basically, any kernel of fantasy news and its relevance to fantasy managers could be covered here. Today, the news of the day is the fantasy impact of Gavin Lux’s ACL injury plus a look at potential rotation options in Tampa Bay in the wake of Tyler Glasnow's oblique injury.
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Fantasy Impact of Gavin Lux's Injury
Lux will reportedly miss the 2023 season with a torn right ACL per a tweet from MLB.com's Juan Toribio on Tuesday. Per a pair of follow-up tweets, from Toribio, Lux also reportedly damaged his LCL and will undergo surgery soon.
It’s unfortunate news for the 25-year-old, who looked set once again to feature in a regular role for the defending National League West champs. The former first-round pick can play across the diamond but saw most of his work at second base in 2022. He also logged time in left field and at shortstop. With Trea Turner moving on to the Phillies via free agency, Lux looked set to play a key role in a stacked Dodgers lineup.
In 471 plate appearances for Los Angeles last season, Lux hit .276 with a .346 on-base percentage, six home runs, seven stolen bases, a .745 OPS, and a 6.1% barrel rate. Now, without Lux in the fold for 2023, Los Angeles could turn to a variety of options up the middle. Miguel Vargas and Miguel Rojas are certainly names to keep in mind, but fantasy-wise, the biggest beneficiary might be Chris Taylor.
Per a tweet from AM 570 LA Sports’ David Vassegh on Tuesday, Taylor will reportedly “start a throwing program to play more SS.”
For the most part, the veteran, who can play a number of positions, has been a regular for the Dodgers in his career in Los Angeles, regardless of where he starts, But Lux’s injury could potentially underscore Taylor's regular role in the Dodgers lineup that scored 40 more runs than the next closest team last season.
In 2022, Taylor hit .221 with a .304 on-base percentage in 454 plate appearances for the National League West club. It was a decidedly down season at the plate for the longtime Dodger, who also saw his wRC+ dip below 106 for the first time in a full season in his Los Angeles tenure.
Still, despite the down year, he logged 10 home runs and contributed double-digit stolen bases – 10 to be exact – for the second straight year. Currently being selected with an average draft position of 336.02 as the 210th player off the board in drafts per NFBC, the veteran could be a steal for fantasy managers if he bounces back even a bit at the plate and continues to steal bases. That’s especially the case considering the counting stat potential that comes with a Dodgers lineup that is also set to feature Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, J.D. Martinez, and Miguel Vargas.
Even if his struggles continue to a degree at the plate, if the double-digit home runs and stolen bases remain a constant, Taylor will be someone fantasy managers will want to target later in drafts.
Fantasy Impact of Tyler Glasnow's Injury
In more unfortunate injury news, Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow reportedly has a "Grade 2 left oblique strain" per a tweet from The Tampa Bay Times Marc Topkin on Tuesday.
One of the sport's best starters when he's healthy, the 29-year-old missed most of last season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, making just a pair of starts late in the year. Overall, the 29-year-old owns a 2.75 ERA, a 2.87 FIP, 300 strikeouts, and just 65 walks allowed in 212.2 innings of work since the start of the 2019 season. It's an unideal situation for both fantasy managers and the Rays.
In terms of replacements, fantasy managers who have already drafted are probably best off looking for streaming options. Two of those streaming options could be the Rays' top internal replacements to fill in for Tyler Glasnow in Yonny Chirinos and Luis Patino.
Chirino, like Glasnow, missed time recently due to recovery from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander threw 26.1 innings in the minors and made a pair of Major League appearances last season.
If he pitches at all like he did prior to the injury and can claim the temporarily available spot in the Rays' rotation, he'll be worth a look for fantasy managers. Sporting a split-finger offering with a 41.6% whiff rate, Chirinos logged a 3.85 ERA and a 4.44 FIP in 133.1 innings of work, while striking out 7.70 batters per nine frames. That year he also walked just 1.89 batters per nine frames.
Patino, previously one of the game's top pitching prospects and one of the centerpieces of the Blake Snell deal likely has the higher ceiling of the duo. However, he struggled in both the Majors and minors last year while also missing time with an oblique strain. Patino logged an 8.10 ERA, 11 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 20 innings for the Rays and a 4.50 ERA, a 5.40 FIP, 34 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 34 innings at the minors' highest level for Tampa Bay's Triple-A affiliate.
Whether it's Chirinos, Patino, or another pitcher, the Rays' fifth starter will be should get a number of quality matchups early. Tampa Bay's first nine games in the regular season include three-game sets against the Tigers, Nationals, and A's, three teams that finished the 2022 season in the bottom five in the league in runs scored.
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