B.J. Upton, 2B, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

June 18, 2007 @ 03:55:57

By Richard Garcia
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

According to the Tampa Tribune, Tampa Bay Devil Rays second baseman B.J. Upton was put on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, June 13, (retroactive to June 9) with a strained left quad.

The Current Situation

The MRI taken last Wednesday showed Upton's quad hadn't healed much in the previous five days; however, it's not expected to be a long-term injury. There are some reports indicating Upton might be ready to come off the DL June 24 after serving the minimum, but it appears that he may need a few days or so after that date. Manager Joe Maddon says that Upton is feeling better.

Infielder Ty Wigginton is expected to get the bulk of time at second base while Upton is out. The Rays also called up Jonny Gomes, who has been playing in right field. Since the call-up, Gomes is 8-for-14 with three home runs and six RBI. Fantasy owners in need of power should consider adding him.

Upton, whose nickname of B.J. stands for Bossman Junior, with his father, Manny, being the original Bossman, went undrafted in most fantasy leagues. Upton was quickly picked up as fantasy owners watched him hit .365 with five home runs, 20 RBI and a 1.102 OPS in April.

Fantasy owners of Upton aren't the only ones who have noticed his performance on the field. Fans throughout the league are voicing their opinions through All-Star ballots. Upton recently moved to fifth in the American League All-Star voting for second baseman. One could argue that he should be higher than fifth, but that's still not bad for the 22-year-old pro.

Upton headed to the DL batting .320 with nine home runs and 31 RBI. His 13 stolen bases were enough to keep him in the top 10 in the AL in that category at the time of this writing.

Fantasy Options

Fantasy owners were most likely using Upton at the shallower second base position, although in some leagues he eligible at third base and the outfield. To replace Upton at second, there are a couple of options available.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jose Lopez, 23, signed a four-year contract extension in April after making his first AL All-Star team last season. Lopez is batting .288 with seven home runs and 38 RBI on the season. Lopez is having a solid June (.316), making him a great option while Upton is out. Lopez is also batting .296 with runners in scoring position on the season. He is available in about 90 percent of leagues polled.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, 23, is batting .322 with three home runs and 21 RBI for the season. The first-year player out of Arizona State has been moved to the top of the lineup, mostly in the two-hole, due to shortstop Julio Lugo's struggles. Pedroia went 5-for-5 including a home run and five RBI versus the San Francisco Giants June 15. Pedroia is a viable option and is available in approximately 91 percent of leagues polled.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa, 32, signed a three-year, $13 million contract with the Cubs this offseason. The veteran has hit six home runs with 31 RBI for the season; with runners in scoring position he is batting .340. DeRosa, batting .322 in June, slides from the five through seven spots in the lineup; he has most recently been batting fifth, likely because third baseman Aramis Ramirez (back) is out. DeRosa is available in roughly 92 percent of leagues polled.

Fantasy Outlook

It would have been unrealistic to expect Upton to maintain his April numbers throughout the season. In that respect, Upton's production has tailed off. He still has solid fantasy value, so trading him at this point might be a good option. Fantasy owners shouldn't give him up for scraps, though; make sure you get very good value.

Also, as he begins to face clubs a second and third time, pitchers should have a better read on him through videotape and scouting reports. He has been solid so far this season, but there are some questions as to whether his average can hold up. Much of that is because of his strikeout total (68 in 200 at-bats).

Upton has the raw ability to maintain a solid pace in the cumulative categories such as home runs and stolen bases. There is little reason to believe that he can't hit 20 home runs and steal 25 bases. However, he isn't likely to maintain such a high average, so look for that to dip to .300 or below. Either way, Upton should put up respectable numbers.

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Richard Garcia
Garcia served as a managing editor for KFFL. Prior to his time with KFFL, Richard worked in managerial roles with both Frito-Lay Inc. and UPS. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and fulfilled his internship requirements with the Los Angeles Kings Hockey organization in 2001.

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