Team-By-Team Notes

Adam Wainwright’s Achilles’ tendon injury is a massive blow regardless, but it comes at an especially bad time for the Cardinals, what with Jaime Garcia and Marco Gonzales on the disabled list with injuries. A St. Louis team that was seven deep in the rotation heading into spring training is now on the search for an eighth starter.

The Cardinals, though, are still about as well set up to handle such a run of bad luck as a franchise could be. Carlos Villanueva is an adequate stopgap, albeit one who isn’t at all conditioned to step in and throw 100 pitches right away. As the last man in the St. Louis pen, he’s thrown just 2 2/3 innings to date. In Triple-A are left-handers Tyler Lyons and Tom Cooney. Lyons struck out 36 in 36 2/3 innings in his four starts and seven relief appearances for the Cardinals last season, amassing a 4.42 ERA in the process. Cooney has gone 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA and a 133/52 K/BB ratio in 175 1/3 innings for Memphis since the beginning of last year. With Villanueva needing to be built back up, it’d make sense to pick one of the Triple-A pitchers as the short-term choice to step into Wainwright’s spot. Either would be worth grabbing in NL-only leagues once called up. My guess is that the Cardinals will go Cooney.

For the long haul, the Cardinals will hope one of Garcia or Gonzales can fill the spot. Garcia is working his way back from his latest shoulder setback and is a month away if his current rehab progresses well. That’s probably no better than a 50-50 shot, but Garcia is good enough when healthy to amass value in mixed leagues. Gonzales was shut down last week as a precautionary move for some shoulder tightness. It’s supposed to be minor, meaning that he, too, could be a candidate to join the Cardinals towards the end of May. Gonzales doesn’t quite have Garcia’s week-to-week upside, but he’d still be a decent bet in mixed leagues if he get a rotation spot. The 2013 first-round pick tore through the minors and went 4-2 with a 4.15 ERA in five starts and five relief appearances for the Cardinals last year.

As for Wainwright, we’ll find out Monday whether or not he’s done for the season. I’m assuming he is; a torn Achilles’ is one of the easier injuries to diagnose and the Cardinals certainly haven’t had anything encouraging to say about the injury so far. If that’s the case, we’ll probably see the Cardinals in the market for any big-time starters available at the trade deadline. They have the depth to pull off a deal if they’d like. I’d still view them as the favorites in the NL Central without Wainwright. I do wish I could take back my World Series pick, though.

American League Notes

Baltimore: Bud Norris probably saved his rotation spot with a quality start and his first win Sunday against the Red Sox, but he still wasn’t exactly impressive. I don’t have a good explanation for his 12.18 ERA; he’s not someone I’ve ever been particularly high on, but I still dismissed his poor spring as just a blip. His velocity is fine, but the changeup that proved useful for the first time in his career last season hasn’t helped him this year. Then again, his poor changeup didn’t prevent him from being adequate previously. Part of this is the big decline in Baltimore’s defensive performance, which has also hit Chris Tillman hard. J.J. Hardy (shoulder) hasn’t been there, Nick Markakis is gone for good, Jonathan Schoop (knee) is out for months and Manny Machado hasn’t been his old self. Hardy’s return will help stabilize things, as will Matt Wieters’ eventual comeback, but it’s really difficult to get excited about any of Baltimore’s pitchers right now. Hopefully, something shakes loose and Kevin Gausman gets his spot soon.

Boston: Koji Uehara’s velocity hasn’t taken quite as much of a hit as some have suggested, but it’s clear he doesn’t trust his fastball right now, causing him to overload on his splitter. The good news is that his splitter is working better than it did when he collapsed last August. Still, he can’t throw the pitch 80-90 percent of the time; he needs to keep hitters honest. Right now, he’s averaging 87 mph with his fastball, down from 89 mph last year. In Saturday’s loss, he was more like 86 mph on the couple of heaters he threw. One would think there’s still more velocity to be found; given that a hamstring injury cost him much of the spring, he probably hasn’t built his arm all of the way up. But then, he needs to throw more fastballs in order to build his arm up. The Red Sox have no one to replace him with, so they’re not going to be quick to make a move if he blows another save or two this week. I think he’ll prove fine in the long run; not the Uehara of the past, but an adequate closer nonetheless. If not, it’s back to Edward Mujica for a little while and then a trade for a closer later. … Shane Victorino’s DL stint with a hamstring injury can only help the Red Sox. Brock Holt deserves to play right field against righties, giving him a little short-term value in mixed leagues. That’s too bad for Daniel Nava and Allen Craig, but they’re not hitting. As for Rusney Castillo, he’s nearly back from his shoulder injury, but he’s going to need a few weeks of at-bats in Triple-A before he’s a candidate to step in. Unfortunately, Victorino figures to be brought back before then.

Chicago: The chances of a quick ascension to the White Sox rotation for Carlos Rodon weren’t helped by John Danks’ victory over the Royals on Sunday. Danks is the weaker link than Hector Noesi in my mind, but we’ll see how it works out. Noesi gets two starts this week against the Orioles and Twins.

Cleveland: I was pretty wishy-washy on T.J. House going into the season because I really wasn’t sure whether he could neutralize right-handers once they got a couple of more looks at him (I had him ranked 79th among SPs). On the one hand, there’s some deception in his delivery in the way he brings the ball behind his back. On the other, he still gives righties a long look with his low arm angle and he’s not going to overpower them at all with his 88-92 mph fastball. The results so far have obviously been distressing, with House sporting a 12.60 ERA. Two of his three starts have come against the Tigers, which is the worst possible matchup for him, but just about everyone will be stacking righties against him. I wouldn’t drop him in AL-only leagues yet, but I do think the Indians might be better off with him in middle relief and Zach McAllister in the rotation. … The Indians’ lineup has been disappointing, but the David Murphy-Ryan Raburn platoon has actually been very productive, meaning Nick Swisher’s return from knee surgery doesn’t figure to provide much of a lift. The plan is for Swisher to play right field most of the time, with Brandon Moss becoming a DH. … I remain confident that Cody Allen will turn it around. It’s worth having Bryan Shaw stashed behind him in mixed leagues, but I don’t think Allen will lose his job.

Detroit: That the Tigers will eventually trade for a reliever with Joe Nathan done for the season and Al Alburquerque looking completely useless would seem to be a given. Still, Joakim Soria seems like a safe enough bet to close the rest of the way. He’s at least a top-15 reliever now. … I’m not a fan of Anthony Gose long-term in mixed leagues, but with Rajai Davis injuring his groin Sunday, Gose will be worth playing this week. Davis was hurt in a game in which he was starting over Gose against right-hander, which is one of the reasons I wouldn’t normally recommend Gose in mixed leagues.

Houston: The Astros picked right in choosing Jake Marisnick over Jonathan Singleton this spring. Marisnick is hitting .356 with a homer and five steals from the bottom of the order. He’s showing a bit more patience at the plate yet he’s still cut his strikeout rate dramatically, which is a really nice combination. I’m skeptical that he’ll continue hitting for average and I’d hesitate to pick him up in mixed leagues unless he moves up in the lineup, but he’s a better player than I thought he’d be.

Kansas City: It’s tough to come up with things to write about teams with no underperfomers and no need for any immediate role changes. So, you just keep doing what you’re doing, Royals.

Los Angeles: With Josh Hamilton exiting the picture, there’s no obvious relief on the way for Matt Joyce (.132/.175/.189 in 53 AB) or C.J. Cron (.213/.260/.340 in 47 AB). The Angels do have Efren Navarro and Grant Green capable of stepping in if necessary, but neither would be likely to excel. Kyle Kubitza, acquired from the Braves over the winter as a possibility to take over at third base in 2016, could be a DH candidate. He’s hit .372/.417/.603 in 78 at-bats for Triple-A Salt Lake, though that has come with 20 strikeouts. I’m not overly fond of his bat. I think Joyce will prove fine in the end, but it’d be for the best if he and Cron were platooning at DH, with someone new in left field.

Minnesota: Manager Paul Molitor has started mixing up the lineup, with Danny Santana dropped to the nine spot and Brian Dozier now leading off. Next up would seem to be adjusting the personnel. With the Twins getting so little from their center field combo, it’s time to give Aaron Hicks one last chance. Hicks is off to a .291/.375/.473 start through 14 games in Triple-A. The Twins have absolutely nothing to lose by having him supplant Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson. There is another option, though: promoting Hicks to play left, making Oswaldo Arcia a DH and sending down Kennys Vargas. Such a move would benefit the pitchers, as the Twins’ outfield defense would become merely bad instead of the train wreck it is now. I’d rather see Vargas get some time to turn it around, but I’d also like to see Phil Hughes sport an ERA under 4.00 this year. … The Twins also have Josmil Pinto in Triple-A as a potential replacement for Vargas or for Kurt Suzuki behind the plate. They really might as well try him at catcher, considering they’re still playing him there for the most part. Besides, Suzuki has become a liability behind the plate anyway. Unfortunately, that ugly two-year, $12 million extension the Twins gave Suzuki last summer will probably keep them from making a change.

New York: The Yankees must be having the same internal debate about Carlos Beltran that the Red Sox are with Victorino. Beltran has ceased hitting the ball with any kind of authority, opening the season at .173 with no homers in 52 at-bats. He was also homerless, with a .225 average, in 40 at-bats this spring, and he’s striking out far more than usual. He can’t really be this bad offensively, but he’s such a subpar defender at age 38 that he’s still a liability as a .700 OPS guy, which is what he was last year (.233/.301/.402 in 403 AB). The Yankees are likely to be better off with Chris Young in right field even after Young comes back to Earth (he’s hitting .326/.392/.696 in 46 AB). Where Beltran’s situation differs from Victorino’s is that he’s still going to be owed another $15 million in 2016, making it more difficult to simply give up on him. Still, we’re probably headed in that direction regardless. … I’m not totally buying into Mark Teixeira’s hot start, but it’s hard to dismiss eight homers. His approach is still likely to lead to a poor average, and he remains one of the biggest health risks at first base. But it’s hard to dismiss eight homers.

Oakland: Losing Ben Zobrist’s bat and versatility for the next 4-6 weeks is a big blow, especially with the A’s already missing Coco Crisp. Eric Sogard and Craig Gentry will receive increased playing time in his absence. Marcus Semien becomes a better mixed-league option, since he figures to keep hitting high in the order after spending the first 2 1/2 weeks batting eighth and ninth. … 2012 fifth-round pick Max Muncy was called up Saturday to take Zobrist’s place, and he was immediately given a start at third over a banged up Brett Lawrie. Muncy, though, is a liability at the hot corner, making it unlikely that he’s a threat to Lawrie’s job. That said, the A’s could certainly use someone to push Lawrie. Perhaps it will be Mark Canha once Crisp returns. Canha’s nothing special at third, either, but he should be better than Muncy. … Even though they have Jarrod Parker on the way back, the A’s decided they didn’t want to wait any longer to replace Kendall Graveman in the rotation, inserting Jesse Chavez into his spot. That gives Chavez some short-term value in mixed leagues. Graveman just doesn’t seem to have an outpitch to use against major league hitters, and while he still might prove to be a bottom-of-the-rotation guy anyway, some additional minor league time is warranted. Parker, on the road back from Tommy John surgery, made his first rehab start Thursday. He’s slated to spend the full 30 days in the minors before being activated, though perhaps he could be brought back one week earlier if he excels.

Seattle: Hisashi Iwakuma’s MRI came back with good news, as his lat strain graded out as mild. It bodes well for him returning within a month. In the meantime, Roenis Elias should be one of the game’s best fifth starters and a fine AL-only pitcher. … The Mariners have slumping hitters, but no flexibility at all to make roster moves, a result of them loading up on veteran bench players like Justin Ruggiano, Rickie Weeks and Willie Bloomquist. It’s too early to simply release someone from that trio, so unless someone gets hurt, they’re pretty much stuck with their mix. If they weren’t, perhaps they’d reach down to Triple-A and turn to Jesus Montero (.358/.386/.552) or Franklin Gutierrez (.310/.423/.571) to help out against lefties. Carlos Quentin, signed to a minor league deal last week, could also be an option come mid-May. Still, the Mariners can’t just option someone out in order to make it happen, which is good news for Logan Morrison.

Tampa Bay: Drew Smyly pulled off a successful return to Tampa Bay’s rotation on Friday. Next up is Alex Colome, who figures to replace Erasmo Ramirez after giving up one run in six innings in his Triple-A start Sunday. Before Smyly and Alex Cobb went down, Colome was the favorite to serve as the Rays’ fifth starter in a competition with Nate Karns that never materialized because Colome was diagnosed with pneumonia. Colome will probably have three or four starts to try to overtake Karns for a permanent rotation spot before Cobb (forearm) is activated. That Colome is out of options and Karns can be sent down should help Colome’s case. Colome offers intriguing AL-only upside, but he doesn’t need to be on mixed-league radars just yet. … The Rays got James Loney back from the DL on Friday, but it doesn’t sound like John Jaso (wrist) will return this week. As well as David DeJesus has played, there’s no reason for Jaso to rush. The Rays are going to struggle some to find enough playing time for both.

Texas: After all of the events of the last few months, there’s no counting on Hamilton contributing this year. Still, he’s a better bet in Texas than he ever would have been in Anaheim. Take it for what it’s worth, but this is a guy who still played like a star in road games last year, hitting .278/.347/.527 with 10 homers in 169 at-bats. He’s likely a month away from joining the Rangers as he continues his rehab from shoulder surgery, but he makes for a fun stash in mixed leagues. … It’s hard to recommend straight out dropping Shin-Soo Choo in mixed leagues. After all, he was a top-10 outfielder in Cincinnati just two short years ago. But at the same time, this version of Choo would seem to be a long ways from making anyone regret dropping him. I had him ranked 40th among outfielders going into the season. Right now, I don’t think I’d have him in the top 60.

Toronto: The Jays switched things up over the weekend, putting Dalton Pompey in left field and Kevin Pillar in center. That doesn’t seem to bode well for Pompey, even though he’s currently outhitting Pillar. Since Jose Bautista’s shoulder acted up, the Jays didn’t face an immediate outfield crunch when Michael Saunders came off the DL. However, they should soon have four players for three spots, and since they view Pillar as the superior center fielder, Pompey could be looking at a greatly reduced role and maybe an eventual trip to the minors. Pompey is just 22, so I don’t think the Jays would be apt to carry him as a reserve for the long haul. He needs to play regularly, whether it’s in the majors or Triple-A. Ezequiel Carrera would likely take over as the Jays’ fourth outfielder if Pompey gets sent down. … We’re not there yet, but I think the time will come that Aaron Sanchez returns to the Jays pen, with Marco Estrada replacing him in the rotation. Sanchez would actually be more interesting for fantasy purposes if that happens, since he could be a threat for saves.

National League Notes

Arizona: Last week’s Diamondbacks paragraph was largely devoted to how little Yasmany Tomas would play in the majors, so of course Jake Lamb (foot) got hurt and Tomas is suddenly a third baseman again. Well, approximately. That’s where he stands. Stabbing at grounders like he’s flipping hamburgers and afraid of grease splatters. The Diamondbacks could go with an offense-defense platoon at third, using Tomas when Rubby De La Rosa and Josh Collmenter start and Aaron Hill when Jeremy Hellickson and Archie Bradley are on the mound. Chase Anderson is the wild card; he’s not really a groundball pitcher, but he is the Diamondbacks’ biggest strikeout pitcher. Or I might be overthinking it. Tomas is still an NL-only option at best, and I’m not convinced that will change at any point during the season.

Atlanta: A.J. Pierzynski started his fourth straight game over Christian Bethancourt on Saturday and probably would have played again Sunday had it not been a day game after a night game. Such is manager Fredi Gonzales’s fondness for his 38-year-old catcher. Meanwhile, the 23-year-old languishes on the bench. It can’t be a permanent arrangement; Bethancourt obviously needs to play, whether it’s in the majors or Triple-A. Even if Pierzynski is the better player right now, it does the Braves no real good to play him in a year in which they’re still destined to lose 90 games. And it doesn’t bode well for Bethancourt’s future that Pierzynski might actually be the superior player. … Trevor Cahill overcame a three-run homer in the first to give the Braves six decent innings Sunday. Considering that it was his first outing on normal rest after he went 13 days and then six days without pitching, he deserves more of a shot to show what he has left. Still, the Braves could make the switch to Mike Foltynewicz if they’re low on patience. Folty also pitched Sunday, allowing two runs in five innings and striking out nine in Triple-A. He has a 2.08 ERA and a 30/10 K/BB ratio in 21 2/3 innings for Gwinnett. I don’t think the control is there for him to succeed as a major league starter, but he will overpower some hitters with his 94-98 mph fastball. He wouldn’t be worthy of an immediate mixed-league pickup if he gets the call.

Chicago: When I wrote about Arismendy Alcantara potentially getting sent down last week, I didn’t expect it to be for Addison Russell the very next day. I don’t get why the Cubs soured on Alcantara so quickly, but I do understand why they were so high on Russell. Unfortunately, Russell didn’t really look the part in his first week, striking out 12 times and nine walking in 22 at-bats. At least he did drive in four runs with his two hits. Russell is a better real prospect than fantasy prospect; his power isn’t fully developed yet and he’s not much of a basestealer. He was worth a try in mixed leagues anyway, but I don’t think he’s a top-20 middle infielder. He’s in the same range as players like Xander Bogaerts, Jean Segura and Erick Aybar at shortstop.

Cincinnati: Besides taking a voluntary zero with Devin Mesoraco (who should have been on the DL with his hip problem two weeks ago), the Reds are getting next to nothing from Jay Bruce (.161/.257/.323), Brandon Phillips (.269/.290/.269) and Marlon Byrd (.143/.154/.222). Does Bryan Price have it in him to bench anyone in the trio? Phillips’ defense is slipping, but it’d still be a significant downgrade defensively to go to Kris Negron at second base. Giving Brennan Boesch a chance to start over Byrd against right-handers would seem to be the most realistic move, but as productive as Byrd was the previous two years, he deserves at least another week or two to snap out of it. There’s no sitting Bruce against righties, and since Boesch is left-handed, there’s also no platoon option for him. There isn’t much aid in Triple-A, either. Eugenio Suarez will eventually be a candidate to help out at second, but he’s hitting just .203/.261/.344 right now.

Colorado: Adam Ottavino came out of the gate this year throwing harder than ever, and now he’s dealing with some triceps soreness, although the Rockies are telling anyone who will listen that it’s a minor issue. Hopefully, they’re right, because Ottavino seemed to be breaking through and becoming one of the NL’s better relievers. If it proves serious, it looks like John Axford will become the new favorite for saves in the Colorado pen. … Corey Dickerson says his plantar fasciitis seems to be receding, which is a great break for the Rockies and for fantasy owners. He’s spending more time in the two hole of late with Carlos Gonzalez struggling, and if that keeps up, he might be a top-10 fantasy outfielder.

Los Angeles: The plan is for Yasiel Puig to miss just the minimum 15 days after he was placed on the DL because of his hamstring strain. Andre Ethier has been plenty productive this far and is worth a short-term pickup in mixed leagues. … That Brandon McCarthy exited Saturday with an injury isn’t much of a surprise, given his history, but the elbow is a new concern; it’s the shoulder that has led to most of his setbacks. McCarthy seems to be downplaying the soreness and the MRI reportedly came back clean, so he wasn’t immediately placed on the DL. I still imagine he’ll end up there for his own good, but it doesn’t currently seem like anything major. … Yimi Garcia has taken over as the obvious favorite for saves in the L.A. pen with Kenley Jansen (foot) a few weeks away. … Still getting lots of Alex Guerrero questions. I remain skeptical that he’ll of use in mixed leagues; I believe in his bat to an extent, as something like a .260-20 HR guy, but I don’t think he’s the Dodgers’ best option at any one spot. Manager Don Mattingly is going to have his hands full trying to get everyone at-bats, and I’m not very confident Guerrero will get enough playing time to be of use in shallow formats. At least now he should be in line for some outfield starts with Puig out.

Miami: Steve Cishek is dealing with diminished velocity early on, and he’s given up five runs in 5 1/3 innings. Fortunately, he fared a bit better there Sunday, working consistently in the 89-91 mph range. That’s not quite where he’d prefer to sit, but it’s a start. I think he’ll be okay. If not, A.J. Ramos should be next in line. … Christian Yelich’s bulging disc will make Ichiro Suzuki a regular for the next two weeks. The Marlins do have the option of putting Michael Morse in left and Justin Bour at first base to give the offense a lift, but it doesn’t look like they’ll take it. It’s too bad Bour isn’t any sort of option in the outfield, because his bat is pretty intriguing. … I’m not buying any Adeiny Hechavarria stock, but the guy sure did have the week of his life. He’s suddenly tied for 4th in the majors in runs scored with 15 and seventh in RBI with 16.

Milwaukee: The baseball gods just had to kick the Brewers while they were down, and now Jonathan Lucroy will miss at least a month with a broken toe. Lucroy was off to a dreadful start offensively, but that was going to change. At least the Brewers do have a fine backup in Martin Maldonado. Still, they could hardly afford to lose one of the NL’s 10 best players for the second week in a row. … The other top-10 player on the shelf, Carlos Gomez, is eligible to return from a strained hamstring on Friday, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be activated right away. Maybe next week. … I’m not nearly the biggest Khris Davis fan around, but I did project him to have some mixed-league value this year. However, while he hit for average during the first couple of weeks, he’s yet to homer in 67 at-bats. Plus, his average has dropped to .254. I’m not optimistic the average will get much better, but with his swing, the power has to come. I had him at .241-25-80 going into the season.

New York: With the Mets looking like world-beaters, it might be tempting to grab Bartolo Colon or Jon Niese in mixed leagues. Colon would be the better choice. Obviously, he’s not going to maintain the 23/1 K/BB ratio he’s amassed through 26 innings, but his miniscule walk rate will result in a solid WHIP and, as a flyball pitcher, he relies less on the Mets’ dreadful middle infield than others. I wouldn’t rate him as a top-50 starter, but he’s a decent enough bet for the next month or two. I’m not as optimistic about Niese, even though he as a 1.50 ERA through three starts. Niese’s velocity hasn’t come back at all following last year’s decline, and he has no choice but to count on Wilmer Flores and Daniel Murphy up the middle. … Rafael Montero will make a spot start Tuesday against the Marlins. If he excels and Dillon Gee flops this week, it’s possible a switch could be made. Montero is certainly the more interesting of the two for fantasy purposes.

Philadelphia: Domonic Brown, on the disabled list with an Achilles’ tendon strain, hasn’t exactly lit it up in the minors, going 4-for-31 with no homers and one walk in eight games since moving up to Triple-A. Of course, this is really spring training for him, but it still doesn’t lead to much optimism that he’ll be an asset upon returning to the Phillies after his rehab assignment expires this week. He should start in right field against right-handers anyway, considering that the alternative is Jeff Francoeur. But there’s little reason to own him in shallow mixed leagues right now. Darin Ruf might get sent down to make room for him. … I doubt we’ll see Maikel Franco up within the next couple of weeks, but his .333/.375/.520 start in Triple-A is good to encouraging. Neither he nor Cody Asche has logged any outfield time yet, so the Phillies still need to figure out how that’s going to work.

Pittsburgh: Andrew McCutchen still isn’t nearly 100 percent after his mysterious spring “lower body soreness” that he’s steadfastly declined to elaborate on. About the only thing he has admitted is that the knee problem that kept him out of a game a week ago was related to but not the extent of the spring malady. Between the lack of production and the secrecy, it’s definitely time to wonder if he’ll be completely healthy at any point during the season. He intends to keep playing and he’ll probably play better than this, but I’d be surprised if he suddenly turns back into the McCutchen of old. … Melancon maintains he’s healthy, but his velocity isn’t coming back yet. He never hit 90 mph on the gun while picking up his fifth save Friday, and while it was his third straight scoreless outing in a row, there remains good reason for concern. Anyone owning Melancon in a mixed league should have already picked up Tony Watson as insurance. Maybe a Melancon who throws 88-90 mph will be good enough to hang on to the closer’s role, but he won’t be the top-five reliever I envisioned.

St. Louis: Ideally, Jason Heyward could be benched in mixed leagues this week after he hurt his groin Sunday. With Randal Grichuk (back) still on the DL, Peter Bourjos will fill in.

San Diego: There’s still a role for Jedd Gyorko on the Padres as a second baseman against left-handed pitching, but the team might be better off sending him to Triple-A to play regularly anyway. He’s unlikely to find his swing in spot duty, and Yangervis Solarte has overtaken him as the second baseman against righties. Besides, the Padres are going to need to carve out a little space for Melvin Upton Jr. (foot) sometime next month. Right now, Solarte is the Padres’ best option as a first baseman against left-handers. Once Upton comes back, it’d make sense to play him in center and Wil Myers at first versus lefties.

San Francisco: The Giants won’t be writing off Casey McGehee because of a bad first 14 games, but he simply doesn’t project as a solution at third base. Last year’s .355 OBP was nice, but he came in at .280 and .284 in his final two years before being pushed to Japan in 2013. He offers little power, he’s baseball’s most frequent rally killer because of all the double plays he hits into and he’s not particularly strong defensively at the hot corner. I’m not sure Matt Duffy is a realistic fix, either. He had a great spring to win a spot, but there’s no power to be found there. He’s difficult to judge based on his minor league performances; he excelled as a 22-year-old in low-A ball and as a 23-year-old in Double-A, but he’s never set foot in Triple-A. While he’ll get his singles, his effectiveness as a major league player will greatly depend on whether his fine minor league walk rate carries over to the majors. For fantasy purposes, he’d seem to have even less to offer than McGehee. Maybe Adam Duvall will get a real shot later this year. He’s off to a terrific start at Triple-A Sacramento, hitting .400 with four homers in 70 at-bats. Unfortunately, his defense isn’t up to par, which is why he’s also playing some first base and outfield in the minors. Still, he’s the one internal option with a bat worthy of notice.

Washington: Assuming that Anthony Rendon’s knee holds up fine, the Nationals aren’t going to want him wasting hits in the minors while continuing to play Danny Espinosa and Dan Uggla at second base. He’ll probably come off the DL on Thursday, pushing Yunel Escobar back to second. … Max Scherzer’s jammed thumb appears like to cost him his scheduled start on Tuesday, but since he should still pitch later in the week, he can be left active. Tanner Roark will probably fill in for him against the Braves, but since he’s not really stretched out, I wouldn’t target him as a first-rate streaming option.

One last note: The May rankings are due next week, which likely means the column will be up Monday morning, rather than Sunday evening.