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Kyle Bishop suggests five middle infield targets for week 7, second basemen (2B) and shortstops (SS), for fantasy baseball owners to consider adding to their rosters in 2018.
Another week, another major injury to a marquee middle infielder. This time it’s Robinson Cano, whose broken hand could keep him out of action for the remainder of the first half if surgery is required. We’ll know more about that after he sees a specialist on Tuesday, but regardless, fantasy owners will need to plan for a lengthy absence.
Every Monday until the end of the season, we'll look at the best middle infielders available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. These are based on standard 5x5 scoring; adjust accordingly for your specific setup.
Let’s get to it.
Week 7 Middle Infield (MI) Waiver Wire Targets
Yolmer Sanchez, 2B/3B, Chicago White Sox (16% owned)
Sanchez was moderately useful in deep and AL-only formats last season, hitting .267 with 12 home runs and eight stolen bases while offering eligibility at multiple positions. He’s only gone deep once so far this year, but he’s 3-for-4 in steal attempts and hitting .296 with respectable run production. Lately, he’s been slotting into the two-hole in the White Sox lineup.
Alen Hanson, 2B/OF, San Francisco Giants (16% owned)
Assuming the tweaked hamstring he suffered over the weekend doesn’t linger, Hanson remains one of the more intriguing – and overlooked – middle infielders widely available on the waiver wire. He’s slashed .298/.346/.638 with four homers, three steals, and 20 R+RBI in just 14 games for the Giants. While he likely won’t sustain that pace at the plate, Hanson did average 30+ steals per season as a prospect.
Howie Kendrick, 2B/OF, Washington Nationals (15% owned)
With Daniel Murphy still working his way back from offseason knee surgery, Kendrick should continue to receive the lion’s share of playing time at second base in the near term. He’s hit well enough thus far (.295/.325/.466 with four homers) to also find himself hitting the middle of a dangerous Nationals lineup. The veteran has averaged 10 HR/11 SB and hit below .279 just once this decade, and is a solid MI play for as long as he’s the starter in Washington.
Brad Miller, 1B/2B, Tampa Bay Rays (1% owned)
Hey, remember this guy? He hit 30 homers back in 2016 and had the rarely seen 1B/SS dual eligibility, which led to many fantasy owners taking a flier on him last spring. Miller didn’t justify that hope, as he hit just nine homers and batted .201 while battling multiple core injuries. He’s seemingly healthy and doing a bit better this year, though. While the overall numbers don’t look terribly impressive, three of Miller’s four home runs on the season have come in the last two weeks. During that time, he’s hit .270/.357/.595 and moved into the middle of the Tampa batting order.
Jose Iglesias, SS, Detroit Tigers (1% owned)
Through April 12, Iglesias had just two hits in 40 plate appearances. In the intervening month, the Tigers’ shortstop has hit .295/.313/.442 with a pair of homers and three stolen bases. Iglesias hit .300 or better in his first two MLB seasons before falling to a .255 mark in each of the last two years. He has enough contact ability and speed to be a batting average asset in deep and AL-only formats.
