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Daily Dose: Beltre Ailing

seth trachtman
Daniel E. Dobish examines yet another Adrian Beltre injury and possible replacements, the latest on Manny Machado and more in Thursday's Daily Dose

Adrian Beltre hasn’t had the best first two months of his season, and it’s about to get worse.

The Rangers’ hot corner will miss at least two weeks after suffering a sprain and laceration of his left thumb. The injury leaves the team in a bind at third base, already stretched for infield depth after demoting Rougned Odor to the minors.

Texas has played middle infielder Hanser Alberto regularly since he was recalled earlier this week from Triple-A Round Rock, and it seems likely that he will continue to play, with utility infielder Adam Rosales finding playing time at third base. It’s also possible that the Rangers could bring back Odor, who has a 1.001 OPS in 17 games at Triple-A.

But what does the future hold for Beltre? He’s hitting only .257/.294/.408 on the year, and the power decline that started last season has continued into this season. He’s made contact at a career-best rate early in the season, though that could be an indication that pitchers no longer fear his bat with a walk rate that has also declined. The latest development is yet another setback in a frustrating season.

C-Mart Dominant in Emotional Win

Carlos Martinez had arguably the best start of his career on Sunday. The day was significant for Martinez with the Cardinals tribute to Oscar Taveras prior to the game, as Martinez could be seen with tears in his eyes while throwing in the bullpen.

Martinez went on to throw seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers, allowing only one hit, three walks, and fanning eight. The start lowered his ERA to 3.13 on the year, and most impressive, Martinez hasn’t allowed a run over his last three starts.

He now has seven quality starts in 10 tries on the year. Martinez has averaged better than 94 mph on his fastball as a starter as one of the hardest throwing starters in the game, and he has more than one strikeout per inning.

Last season Martinez had trouble with lefties (.849 OPS), and that hasn’t changed this season with an .851 OPS coming into Sunday’s start. Five of his seven homers allowed have come against southpaws, even as Martinez has thrown his changeup twice as often as last season.

His struggles against lefties will continue to be a story to watch for fantasy owners, especially in daily leagues, but he remains a plug-and-play on his current streak.

Goldschmidt on Fire

Paul Goldschmidt is one of baseball’s hottest hitters at the moment. He hit his third home run in two games on Sunday, and has three three-hit games in a row.

His strong weekend puts him in the top five in the Triple Crown categories at .354-15-43. Returning from a fractured hand that ended his 2014 season, Goldschmidt hasn’t lost a step as now the top earner in fantasy baseball.

Overlooked in Goldschmidt’s fabulous numbers are his eight steals, with new Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale showing a willingness to let him run. Goldschmidt is on an incredible full-season pace of .354-50-142 with 129 runs and 26 steals. He capped off his May hitting .350-9-22. It’s likely that most of his owners are reaping the rewards near the top of the hitting categories to this point.

American League Quick Hits: The Rays placed Tim Beckham on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring … Matt Wieters (elbow) could join the Orioles on Thursday. It had been thought he’d join the team on Friday … Justin Verlander (triceps) allowed three runs in 2.2 innings during his rehab start on Sunday. He will likely make at least one more start before joining the Tigers … Ricky Nolasco left Sunday’s start with an ankle injury. His status is up in the air … Devon Travis (shoulder) will be shut down for one week after having a setback during his rehab assignment … Matt Harrison (back) will begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday … Ike Davis (quad) will begin a rehab assignment in about a week … Ryan Rua (ankle) will begin a rehab assignment at the end of the week. He will play some third base and first base, in addition to outfield, so he could be a factor for the Rangers if Beltre is out for a prolonged period.

National League Quick Hits: Johnny Cueto (elbow) made it through a bullpen session on Sunday, and said he will be ready to pitch on Tuesday … David Peralta was removed from Sunday’s game after taking a pitch to his left middle finger, but X-rays came back negative … Tyler Wagner struggled filling in for Wily Peralta on Sunday before getting optioned to Triple-A. It remains to be seen who the Brewers will use in Peralta’s next turn … Denard Span is day-to-day after getting removed from Sunday’s game with a sore knee … Ruben Tejada will remain the Mets primary third baseman for now, according to manager Terry Collins … Jordan Lyles left Sunday’s start after aggravating his toe injury … Not surprisingly, top prospect Peter O’Brien has been moved to the outfield full-time by the Diamondbacks. He played catcher in spring training, but struggled with his defense and throwing the ball back to the pitcher … Khris Davis will undergo surgery on Tuesday for a torn meniscus … Top Braves prospect Jose Peraza has been moved to center field at Triple-A Gwinnett. He could be a factor in the second half of the season for the rebuilding Braves.