Impact Analysis: Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves

July 31, 2008 @ 08:02:00

By Tim Piotrowski
Edited by Herija C. Green

Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones (hamstring) has been playing very well this season, but like in so many other recent years, the injury bug has bitten him several times in 2008. This time, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Jones was a fairly high pick in many fantasy drafts coming into the season, but this latest setback is just another in a long line of injuries that have plagued him for the last several seasons.

Chipper's ups and downs

This season, Chipper started the year smoking hot and was flirting with the possibility of hitting .400. He hit .422 in April and .417 in May before coming down to earth by batting .298 combined in June and July. Despite the dip in production, Jones still has a tremendous .369 average with 18 home runs and 55 RBIs in 89 games. He has also posted an outstanding strikeout-to-walk ratio, striking out just 43 times against 59 walks.

Unfortunately for Jones and his fantasy owners, he could not stay away from injuries. At first, his current hamstring injury was not believed to be serious, but it bothered him enough that the team felt Jones needed to go on the DL. He has also dealt with minor injuries to his back, groin, eye and quadriceps this season.

After eight seasons of playing at least 153 games, he has not played more than 137 in the last four. In fact, his recent placement on the DL represented the seventh time he has gone on the disabled list during the last four-plus seasons. Coming into 2008, Jones had missed a total of 158 games from 2004 through 2007.

This latest setback doesn't look good for owners who were thinking about moving Jones before their trade deadline. Owners considering such a move were likely aware of his recent injury problems. They probably still could have received something decent in return, but now they must stash him on the bench or place him on the disabled list and wait to see when he will return to the lineup. However, even if he does come back before a fantasy league's trade deadline, Jones' value will almost certainly be at its lowest point this season as despite his impressive overall numbers because there is always the threat of injury.

Atlanta's hot corner options

Infielder Omar Infante will likely see the majority of the playing time at third base for the Braves during Jones' absence. He has been productive as a reserve for the team, hitting .294 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 143 at-bats this season.

Another player who may see time at third base is infielder Martin Prado, who has been decent in limited time this season. Prado is hitting .264 with one home run and 14 RBIs in 72 at-bats. He has not played much third base in his major league career but is serviceable there in short spans.

Fantasy baseball outlook

In terms of fantasy, owners in all formats should place Jones on the bench or the disabled list and hope he returns fairly soon. When healthy, he's one of the best third basemen in terms of fantasy, but lately he has struggled with numerous lingering injuries. If he returns close to when he is eligible, owners could have a good six weeks of playing time from Jones if he does not get hurt. Trading Jones now is not the best option because owners would almost certainly get less than market value for him.

Internally, Infante is a decent pickup in NL-only leagues but has little value in even deeper mixed leagues. As for Prado, he is not worth adding regardless of format.

There should also be some good options on the waiver wire that Jones owners can pick up while the oft-injured third sacker is out. Kansas City Royals third baseman Alex Gordon could be an option. He is hitting .253 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs on the year. However, Gordon is struggling in July, hitting just .226 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 84 at-bats.

Another option is Baltimore Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora, who is hitting .249 with 15 home runs and 65 RBIs this season. He has been playing very well in July, hitting .311 with five home runs and 26 RBIs in 25 games. Despite being in the midst of a hot streak, Mora should be available in many leagues.

One more possibility for owners is Cincinnati Reds third baseman Edwin Encarnacion. The streaky 25-year-old is hitting .258 with 20 home runs and 43 RBIs this season. He has put up solid numbers in July, hitting .291 with seven home runs and 11 RBIs in 22 games.

 

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Tim Piotrowski
Piotrowski has been a Hot Off the Wire analyst since 2007.

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