Miguel Tejada, SS, Baltimore Orioles

June 24, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Michael Egnak
Edited by Ryan Dodson

After playing in 1,152 consecutive games, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada (wrist) finally missed a game for the first time since the 2000 season. With a fractured wrist, the team was forced to put Tejada on the 15-day disabled list. The injury was a non-displaced fracture, so Tejada believes he will be able to return once his 15 days are up. However, he could also miss as much as two months, and possible more.

While this year wasn't one of his best, Tejada was performing decently for the Orioles in 2007. He was hitting .306, but he had just seven home runs and 41 RBI on the year. Tejada was on pace to bring in almost 90 runs, but he was going to struggle to hit 20 home runs on the year unless he started to mash the ball in the second half.

With Tejada out, the team will have to use infielder Freddie Bynum Jr. and shortstop Chris Gomez at shortstop. Bynum, 27, is hitting .250 with two home runs and three steals in 36 at-bats so far this year. Gomez, 36, is hitting .279 with one dinger and 11 RBI in 61 at-bats.

Obviously the team can't wait for Tejada to return, as he provides a major boost offensively at the position. However, the Orioles should be prepared for a small letdown from Tejada. He is dealing with a fractured wrist, so it might take time for him to regain his power. Considering he was struggling to hit the long ball already this year, Tejada could find himself being more of an average and RBI hitter for the rest of 2007.

Another potential problem for the Orioles was if they wanted to deal him at the trade deadline, his value might have taken a big hit. In a near-perfect world, Tejada would come back after his 15-day disabled list stint and he'd go back to hitting .300 with above-average power and a large number of RBI. Unfortunately, there's an equal chance that he misses a month or two, which would cause him to be injured as the deadline approaches, or even passes. 

Obviously, losing Tejada for an extended period of time would hurt his value. It would also hurt if he comes back off the disabled list, but struggles to do much offensively. As a result, teams may still inquire about Tejada, but they likely won't part with as much as they might have in the past. 

For instance, rumored deals at the deadline last year had Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starting pitcher Ervin Santana as part of a trade for Tejada, with the Orioles also receiving pitcher Nicholas Adenhart and shortstop Erick Aybar. Another deal had the Houston Astros sending starting pitcher Roy Oswalt, shortstop Adam Everett and a third player to Baltimore for Tejada. If Tejada struggles to come back from his injury, the Orioles will be lucky to see a deal similar to either again. The team may be able to acquire a big-name pitcher, mainly because he is under contract through the 2009 season and his salary isn't too high for a player of his caliber.

For fantasy leaguers, you'll want to hang on to Tejada. Even if he is out for a couple months, he could provide decent numbers if you're making a September run for your championship. He's a fairly consistent hitter throughout the season, with a career .286 batting average from July through September.

For those of you in need of a shortstop now, grab Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. He has been on fire lately, hitting three home runs in his past three games. He hit .303 in May with 12 RBI, but he didn't have a single home run during that month. So far in June, he is hitting .275 with four home runs and 10 RBI. On the year, he's hitting .277 with six home runs, three steals and 32 RBI.

San Diego Padres shortstop Khalil Greene has also been hitting well lately. He has four home runs and nine RBI in his past seven games. He's hitting .324 with four homers and 15 RBI so far in June. On the year, he has a .245 average with 11 home runs and 43 RBI.

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Michael Egnak
Michael Egnak is a Hot Off The Wire Analyst at KFFL and has been with the company since 2005. Covering both NFL and MLB, Egnak is also a key contributor to KFFL's fantasy services.

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