Fantasy baseball – How Acuna’s knee modifications the highest of the draft

Fantasy baseball managers might not agree on a lot, however there was little debate this offseason that Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr., simply essentially the most priceless participant from the 2023 season, is your best option to be the primary participant in 2024 drafts, and the most costly in wage cap auctions. In any case, Acuna hit .337 with 41 house runs, 106 RBIs, 73 stolen bases and 149 runs scored. There has by no means been a season like this in baseball historical past, so count on some regression.

At this time, fantasy baseball managers agree that there’s at the least some stage of concern about Acuna and his ailing proper knee, as he reported soreness late final week and was scratched from weekend video games. Acuna famously tore the ACL in his proper knee in 2021 and missed half of that season, then underachieved — primarily based on his unbelievable expertise stage — in 2022 earlier than his unbelievable 2023 marketing campaign.

A weekend MRI confirmed meniscus irritation, and since this is a vital and ultra-valuable participant, the Braves are taking no probabilities. They despatched the famous person to Los Angeles to see famous Dr. Neal ElAttrache for additional inspection. Maybe it isn’t a giant deal but, however Braves followers, anybody with Acuna on their roster and potential buyers — resembling anybody with the No. 1 choose of their draft — might be paying shut consideration to Monday’s information.

Atlanta supervisor Brian Snitker informed anxious reporters on Saturday: “Proper now we’re making an attempt to be optimistic. Perhaps simply a few weeks or no matter, simply to calm all the pieces down. However truthfully, I do not know till we get what the physician on the market says.”

Most fantasy managers are usually not drafting in the course of the first week of March, so there may be time to evaluate the outcomes, although the “no matter” in Snitker’s remark might concern. If Acuna had a serious knee harm, chances are high the workforce would have shared this data already. At this level, pessimism does no person any good. Acuna can sit for a number of weeks and stay the very best participant in fantasy this season. It was going to be tough for Acuna to steal one other 73 bases anyway simply because, wow, that’s loads of steals. Earlier than any information of a sore knee, ESPN Fantasy projected 52 steals.

At this previous weekend’s League of Various Baseball Actuality (LABR) NL-only public sale in Florida, Acuna value $40, significantly beneath an anticipated bidding flirtation with matching the league document $50 tag. Nonetheless, no different NL gamers went for greater than $40. Acuna led the way in which, even with a common settlement by members that Acuna might not swimsuit up for a full April slate of video games. Statistically, he’s that dominant. Acuna value a league-high $49 within the combined league public sale the subsequent afternoon.

Fantasy managers at all times crave readability, and as of Monday morning, there may be little by way of whether or not Acuna will miss video games that depend or be bodily compromised this season. Be affected person, fantasy managers. The information is probably not as good as everybody would favor, and Acuna might miss time early within the season, however he might stay the highest draft choose anyway.

Spring coaching accidents

• Tampa Bay Rays OF Josh Lowe was shut down for roughly per week with left hip irritation and, once more, contemplating this can be a participant who steals bases, this might matter fairly a bit. Lowe broke out final season by hitting .292 with 20 house runs and 32 stolen bases, regardless of being utilized primarily as a platoon choice. The Rays appear assured — are any groups not assured? — that Lowe might be prepared for the video games that depend in a number of weeks, but when Lowe is not again to full well being in per week, it might be time to decrease expectations a bit.

• It’s undoubtedly time to fret about proficient Cincinnati Reds LHP Nick Lodolo, who continues to be having issues with the stress response in his left leg (tibia) after the identical harm derailed him final season. Lodolo excelled as a rookie in 2022 with a 3.66 ERA and 29.7% strikeout fee. Final season, he made solely seven begins with a 6.29 ERA, and the Reds appear involved sufficient that the 26-year-old is scheduled for extra testing. The strikeout upside is appreciable, however not like Acuna and Lowe, an early season IL stint might power Lodolo out of most traditional drafts.

• Boston Pink Sox RHP Kenley Jansen stays out with lat soreness, and the workforce has not up to date his scenario with reporters in two weeks. Jansen in all probability doesn’t want main spring work to arrange for the season, since he is been round perpetually, and he throws his signature pitch (cutter) almost 80% of the time. It stays untimely to draft setup man Chris Martin and assume he earns April saves.

• Many consider new Los Angeles Angels RHP Robert Stephenson will take the nearer function from incumbent Carlos Estevez, however there are a number of points right here. One, Stephenson has shoulder soreness and informed reporters he is probably not prepared for Opening Day. Two, new supervisor Ron Washington retains confirming that Estevez is his nearer. Issues can change, in fact, and Estevez stays removed from reliable, however it’s exhausting to advocate drafting Stephenson over him.

  Different notes

• Toronto Blue Jays RHP Alek Manoah missed his weekend begin with shoulder soreness, which is probably not a giant deal but, however might assist clarify his wild first outing, when he threw solely 17 of 38 pitches for strikes and hit three batters. He recorded 5 outs, and he permitted 4 runs. Manoah was horrible with out warning final season and maybe some fantasy managers robotically rule him out as a result of this motive, however Manoah shouldn’t be giving anybody – together with the Blue Jays – motive to be assured, both.

• New York Yankees 1B Anthony Rizzo clubbed a pair of house runs in Friday’s sport and enters the week with an OPS approaching 2.000. Yeah, it’s early March, and Rizzo is 34, however we should keep in mind he was off to an incredible begin final season earlier than the collision with Fernando Tatis Jr., which resulted in a concussion that ruined issues. Rizzo was hitting .304 with 11 house runs via Might. After that time, he hit .170. A wholesome Rizzo is a fantasy sleeper.

• Atlanta RHP Reynaldo Lopez began Saturday’s sport towards a formidable Toronto lineup of regulars and tossed three shutout innings. Lopez has been a full-time reduction pitcher in current seasons, however he positive seems to be to be within the lead for the No. 5 rotation spot over Bryce Elder and others, and since that is the Braves and so they rating so many runs, we’ve to start out taking this critically in fantasy. Lopez is changing into worthy of a spot in ESPN normal leagues.