Don't Let the Loss of Utley Wreck Your Season

July 27, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Art Morath
Edited by Ryan Dodson

After Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals it was revealed that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley had broken the fourth metacarpal in his right hand. The 28-year-old Utley was hit on the hand by Nationals starter John Lannan, who was making his major league debut, in the fifth inning. Lannan also hit the next batter, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, and he was promptly ejected from the game. Utley has been placed on the DL, and he had surgery on Friday. Initial reports say that he will miss four to six weeks. 

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel says Utley will be replaced in the lineup by infielder Abraham O. Nunez. Nunez is a terrific fielder but has a weak bat. He is hitting .256 with zero home runs, 13 RBI, 19 runs and one stolen base this season. Obviously, he is not an option to replace Utley in fantasy lineups. The Phillies are also expected to call up second baseman Joe Thurston from Triple-A Ottawa. Thurston is hitting .277 with three home runs, 42 RBI, 52 runs and 14 stolen bases at Triple-A.

Utley is putting up huge fantasy numbers this season. He is hitting .336 with 17 home runs, 82 RBI, 79 runs and seven stolen bases. He is among the league leaders in average, RBI and runs scored. Although not on the same level as Utley, the second-best performer at second base this year is the Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Phillips. The 26-year-old is hitting .281 with 20 home runs, 61 RBI, 68 runs and 18 stolen bases. Phillips would be the best replacement of Utley to acquire in a trade, but another great option to trade for is Tampa Bay second baseman/outfielder B.J. Upton. Upton is hitting .340 with 12 home runs, 42 RBI, 46 runs, and 13 stolen bases. He has missed some time this season with injuries, but he has been red hot since the All-Star break.

More than likely Utley owners will have to use the waiver wire as a stopgap. One possible replacement is Chicago Cubs second baseman Mike Fontenot. In 40 games this year for the Cubs, Fontenot is hitting .321 with three home runs, 20 RBI, 24 runs and five stolen bases. Fontenot has bounced back and forth between Triple-A this season, but he is not in any danger of being sent down now. Another possible replacement is Boston Red Sox rookie Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia is hitting .315 with four home runs, 30 RBI, 41 runs and two stolen bases.

As long as it is not determined that Utley is out for the season, he should be kept on the bench or in the DL slot. Losing Utley has likely ended many Utley owners' seasons. Persevere, and keep an eye on your league's trading deadline. If an owner offers you something of value for Utley hoping to get him cheaply for a month of service, you should probably consider it.

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Art Morath
Art Morath has been a contributor to KFFL since 2007.

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