The Reds have placed third baseman Scott Rolen on the 15 day disabled list with a strained left shoulder.
Analysis: Scott Rolen hasn’t been the most productive fantasy player this year hitting just .217 with two home runs, however, he has scored 11 runs and driven in 12. In standard leagues it is a bit of a question on whether to drop Rolen but you cannot deny that the Reds’ lineup and ballpark boost Rolen’s value. In deeper leagues he is a must keep and a great buy low option being available in about fifty percent of fantasy leagues nationwide. As for replacements, Angels’ third baseman Alberto Callaspo is hitting .303 and is still getting plenty of at-bats. Callaspo is the clear batting average third base option on the wire. The other third baseman in LA is the surging Casey Blake. Blake has four multi hit games in his last five contests. Blake has already scored 15 runs in just 14 games and has also been hitting behind Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp atop that Dodger order which is great news for runs scored totals. Blake may be 37 years old but he still has pop in his bat and he is available in over ninety percent of fantasy leagues.
Projection: Scott Rolen does get banged up a lot but when healthy he rakes. I like keeping Rolen and playing the hot hand until he gets off of the DL but Callaspo and Blake still have long term value.