Delmon Young is returning from the 15 day disabled list after straining his left oblique muscle. Young has struggled this year hitting .228 without a home run in sixteen games.
Analysis: Delmon Young may have had an inflated RBI total last year but we know who he is. Delmon is a lifetime .291 hitter and his power is slowing developing. His ISO has increased in each of his last three years from 2008-10 and he has a little bit of speed to offer as well. Young is a perfect sleeper now in roto leagues that don’t bother with OBP, he just hacks at everything (60.6 Swing%). If you have been following fantasy baseball at all this year you know this is a great time to buy low on the outfielder who is available in half of fantasy leagues nationwide. This isn’t a Sam Fuld or Jonny Gomes (combined 0 HR since April 18) situation where he will fall off the face of the planet, Delmon is a professional hitter who provides five-cat numbers. Don’t count the Twins or Delmon Young out this year.
Projection: From this point on you can expect a .290 batting average, 12-15 home runs, five plus stolen bases and competitive run and RBI totals from Delmon Young. Buy him low, buy him now and don’t look back.