Tampa Bay Rays Logan Forsythe Placed on DL: Fantasy Fallout

Aug 25, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe (11) at bat at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 25, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe (11) at bat at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tampa Bay Rays placed second baseman Logan Forsythe on the 15-day DL with a hairline fracture in left shoulder blade. Though, he’s likely out for longer.

It wouldn’t be a true fantasy baseball season without some of the games best missing extended time with various injuries. Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe is the next victim to hit the dreaded disabled list. Forsythe has been out since May 10th with a hairline fracture in his left shoulder blade while at the plate.

Shoulder injuries can always be a tricky recovery, so the Rays are certainly hopeful for the best moving forward with their star second baseman. What impact can this have on your fantasy team looking ahead?

It’s always unfortunate when one of your players hits the DL, especially when they are playing at the top of their game. Forsythe was hitting a cool .308 to start the year. He has also hit four home runs, drove in 12 RBI, scored 16 runs, and stole three bases this season. He will surely be missed while he is away, as he has been the Rays best hitter so far each of the past two seasons. He has also been the Rays best hitter in terms for fantasy production.

Logan Forsythe will be reevaluated in three weeks time. If all goes well, the Rays are hopeful to have him back on the field at some point in early to mid June. In 2015, Forsythe found himself at the end of the year in the top 10 for all fantasy second baseman in terms of total points. Even though he has had a very productive start to the year for the Rays, there are many other second baseman flourishing so far this season. He finds himself towards the bottom of the top 20 for all second baseman this year.

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In the mean time for the Rays, infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce will see the majority of playing time at second base. Also, Logan Morrison will see more time at first base as a result. I wouldn’t worry about Morrison, but Pearce, however, could certainly be worth a pickup. He isn’t currently eligible at second base, but will be soon as he will see much more time there while Forsythe recovers. He already possesses an OF tag as well as 1B. Pearce is currently hitting .276 with five home runs and 13 RBI.

If you currently own Logan Forsythe and aren’t quite sure where to go regarding his injury, I wouldn’t worry too much. He is worth a store on your bench or DL if you can. If you cannot however, dropping him will not be the end of the season for you. It is not likely anyone will go after him due to the fact he will be missing at least a month of playing time.

Furthermore, as previously stated, there are a lot of second baseman flourishing at the moment. It has been quite the fantasy season thus far for the second baseman around the MLB. In previous seasons, quality second baseman were hard to come by. This year so far, they seem to be everywhere, making the Forsythe injury less significant.

If you need some second base help for the time being, there are still some decent options to consider. Baltimore Orioles second baseman, Jonathan Schoop, is someone to consider. Schoop is coming off a hot previous four games where he has hit two home runs and 10 RBI. For the season he is batting .266 with a total of seven home runs and 22 RBI. He is currently owned in only 37.4% of ESPN leagues at the moment.

Chase Utley too has had a nice start to his fantasy year. How long the aging second baseman can keep up the production, I am not too sure, but he can be a nice replacement. Utley is only owned in a mere 19% of ESPN leagues. Brandon Phillips is up for grabs in still over 30% of leagues. He as well, can be a nice boost for your team.

Next: Fantasy Baseball Week 7: Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Adds

Injuries can always be tricky for fantasy players, especially if you’re in a deeper league where there are limited options to consider on the waiver wire. These are your best options to consider to try to compensate for the Forsythe injury. If you’re looking to compensate at first base for Forsythe as he too is eligible at the position, Mark Teixeira and Joe Mauer are currently both owned in under 56% of ESPN leagues.