Renteria's Injury Hurts, but There Are Options Out There

August 6, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Eliott Wolbrom
Edited by Ryan Dodson

As is normal in every season, one of your impact players go down and you are left biting your nails, searching waivers for his replacement. Such was the case over the weekend, as Atlanta Braves shortstop and five-time All-Star Edgar Renteria was placed on the DL after he was found to have a high ankle sprain. Renteria had to be helped off the field Thursday night after he hurt the ankle in the eighth inning while trying to field a one-hopper. Renteria was batting .336 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI on a Braves lineup that got added help with the acquisition of first baseman Mark Teixeira.

The Braves placed Renteria on the 15-day DL, but manager Bobby Cox indicated that Renteria may be out in excess of two weeks. However that is very optimistic as it takes players in the NFL sometimes four to six weeks to return from a high ankle sprain. Until a definitive medical report of Renteria is released, owners should store him on the bench if possible. While it will be difficult to replace the kind of production you've been getting from Renteria, there are other options that can save you.

Infielder Yunel Escobar appears to be the replacement for Renteria, and may be an excellent filler for your team. Escobar is currently batting .327 and has 50 hits in only 153 at-bats. He will likely bat in the leadoff spot and should see excellent stat production on top of that Braves lineup. Escobar is available in 97 percent of fantasy leagues polled, but look for that number to decrease dramatically within the next few days as other owners quickly grab him.

Taking a trip nearly 500 miles south of Turner Field in Atlanta will land you at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, and home of the Devil Rays; where Devil Rays shortstop Brendan Harris is available in 70 percent of all fantasy leagues polled. Harris could very well be the perfect fill-in spot for Renteria. Harris currently sports a .301 batting average with eight home runs and 43 RBI, in a very underrated Tampa Bay Devil Rays lineup. With outfielders Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton and first baseman Carlos Pena having outstanding seasons, Harris has been the beneficiary of a lot of production, and should be heavily considered while Renteria recuperates.

Shockingly, Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is still available in 80 percent of fantasy leagues polled and should also be heavily considered for replacing Renteria. While playing in Coors field arguably gives Rockies' players an edge, Tulowitzki comes critically acclaimed by scouts in the preseason and has been enjoying a very good season. He presently has 12 home runs and 49 RBI for the Rockies, who sit just 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in a close National League West division. The push the Rockies are making may prove to be beneficial for Tulowitzki owners down the stretch.

Losing Renteria this late in the season definitely hurts. However, there are options to fill the void. If your fantasy trade deadline hasn't passed, see if you can make a move for a player like Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal. He has driven owners crazy with his bust of a season, but he is hitting .337 with two homers and eight RBI after the break. He could be a cheap acquisition from a frustrated owner.

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Eliott Wolbrom
Eliott has been with KFFL since 2007.

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