Zach Britton RP, Baltimore Orioles
Britton finally returned to the field after more than year on the sidelines with injuries to his elbow and then his Achilles. Although he surpassed his Inside Injuries’ calculated return to health date, he is still considered High Injury Risk. The Orioles are trying to work him into game situations as often as possible, which may include opportunities to close out games, a role he thrived in two seasons ago.
While Britton may be tempting to fantasy owners speculating for saves, there are several reasons to leave Britton on the waiver wire for now. First of all, Britton’s performances have been erratic so far. In fact, Inside Injuries’ Health Performance Factor still lists Britton as Below Average. In seven appearances covering 6.2 innings pitched, Britton has a 5.40 ERA, and he’s allowed four runs on six hits with six walks. While we expect Britton to get better as he continues to pitch, the Orioles are expected to deal the left-hander before the trade deadline. Since he is a southpaw, it’s unlikely that the team he goes to will use him as a closer. Lefty specialists are highly valued in MLB but are worthless in fantasy baseball outside of leagues that use holds as a scoring category.
Byron Buxton OF, Twins
We’ve been waiting seemingly forever for Buxton’s big breakout, and it’s looking like we are going to have to wait a lot longer. Buxton broke a toe earlier this season and missed 21 games before he returned May 10. Unfortunately, this was nearly a month too early according to Inside Injuries’ June 5 return to health date.
However, the proof is in the performance. Since Buxton returned he is batting just .122/.140/.163. He has yet to hit a home run this season and only four of his 14 hits have been for extra bases. In addition, he’s stolen just one base since his return. The problem here is that Buxton relies on his speed for his game. With a Health Performance Factor stuck at Below Average, it may be quite some time before we see Buxton produce for fantasy purposes. Leave him on the waiver wire where he belongs.
Adam Eaton OF, Nationals
Eaton returned to the field on June 9, nearly a full month before Inside Injuries’ July 5 Return to Health date. As a result, he remains at High Risk for injury with a Below Average Health Performance Factor. Once again, though, the proof is in the performance. Prior to his injury, Eaton was slashing .345/.424/.655 during the early part of the season. Since his return, his triple slash is down to .267/.327/.289, and he has just one extra base hit in 49 plate appearances. We expect Eaton to improve as it gets closer to July 5, and he is a good player to acquire for the second half. In 2016, Eaton slashed .301/.370/.471 with nine home runs, 30 RBIs and 48 runs scored after the All-Star break.
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