Brandon Belt breaks thumb, will miss 6 weeks. Who to pick up?
By Mike Marteny
San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will be placed on the 15 day disabled list with a broken thumb. Belt was hit by a pitch on his left hand in the second inning last night by Dodgers starter Paul Maholm. Belt immediately exited the game and was replaced by Joaquin Arias.
May 5, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) at the batting cage before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
I would expect Arias and Buster Posey to cover first base while Belt it out. Belt is expected to miss six weeks, which would put him on pace to return right around the All Star break. He will see a specialist today to get a more definitely timetable.
If Posey ends up covering first, Hector Sanchez could see a big increase in playing time behind the plate.
The absence of Brandon Belt’s nine home runs could leave a big hole in your lineups. Here are some options to help you out:
Standard Leagues:
Players are available in 10-50 percent of leagues.
Ryan Howard, Phillies: The .236 average is a bit of a turn off, but he does have seven home runs, which is close to Belt’s output.
Chris Colabello, Twins: Colabello seems to have broken out of his slump. He won’t do much for you in the power department, as he has just three homers on the year. Where he can help you is average (.271) and RBI (30). Colabello is fourth in the majors in RBI, and is still available in 20 percent of leagues. One of the perks of playing for the Twins, I guess….
Moderate Leagues:
May 8, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Adam Lind (right) is greeted at home plate by third baseman Juan Francisco (47) after hitting a home run in the sixth inning as the Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 12-6 at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Players are available in 50-85 percent of leagues.
Adam Dunn, White Sox: Dunn is hitting a respectable .268 and has five homers. And he is available in 80 percent of leagues. He is a suitable replacement for Belt. Their numbers are pretty close.
Adam Lind, Blue Jays: Lind is fresh off of the DL, and it still available in 60 percent of leagues. I might even go as far as to pick him up in standard leagues. He was hitting .316 with two homers and nine RBI in 38 at bats before landing on the shelf.
Garrett Jones, Marlins: Jones is hitting a respectable .252 with five home runs, and is playing every day. There is nothing wrong with that!
Deep Leagues:
Players are available in 85 percent or more of leagues.
Juan Francisco, Blue Jays: Francisco was called up to replace Lind, and he played so well that the Jays are keeping him around. His average is now up to .311 with five home runs. Ride him until he cools off!
Mark Reynolds, Brewers: Reynolds is hitting only .222, but does have seven homers in 90 at-bats. He is the best power you are going to find on waivers in deep leagues
Chris Carter, Astros: If you’re REALLY depserate for power, Carter can provide it. He does have five home runs. The downside? How about a disgusting .162 batting average…..