Tag: Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen Is On Fire

Since returning from the 15 day disabled list (strained shoulder) Friday against St. Louis, Scott Rolen is on fire. It’s time to pick up the veteran third baseman before it’s too late.

Analysis: Just three games into his return Scott Rolen has seven hits, a double, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. Rolen has went from being available in about forty percent of fantasy leagues to over eight percent while on the disabled list. At the very worst Rolen adds depth at third or the corner infield slot for your fantasy squad. When healthy he is a must own especially when considering he hits behind Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce and oh yeah… Great American Ballpark is a hitter’s paradise. Rolen’s walk rate is way down this year but that isn’t the worst thing in terms of fantasy roto leagues. His strikeout rate is similar to his last two years and his BABIP is right on track for another .270 batting average season. Third base has been the biggest disappointment from a fantasy perspective this year- A-Rod, Youkilis(multi-position), A-Ram, Reynolds with Zimmerman and Longoria missing significant time. Pick up Rolen and roll with him for depth at least until he goes back on the disbaled list at some point.

Projection: Still expect around fifteen homers by season’s end but his fantasy strength is his RBI numbers.

Rolen To DL, What’s Next?

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.