COVID-19 is going to hover over the 2020 MLB season, and we got a stark reminder of that Thursday, as Nationals star Juan Soto tested positive just five hours before the first game of the season was set to take place. Soto will be placed on the IL ahead of the Nationals opener against the Yankees, and will now have to go through a league-mandated process to return to play that requires negative tests at least 24 hours apart and approval from MLB and player's association doctors.
The good news is Soto is asymptomatic for now and hopefully will remain so. However, this is a reminder of the risks inherent in this season for MLB teams and Fantasy players. From the Nationals perspective, they are looking a situation where a player tested positive on Tuesday, and then spent two days around the team awaiting the results - thus increasing the potential for spread within the locker room. Hopefully, this will remain an isolated situation, but players who came into contact with Soto were tested Friday morning and likely won't know their results until Saturday so there will be concerns until then.
From a Fantasy perspective, this of course reminds us that this season is going to be defined by unpredictability and circumstances. With one statement from the manager, your lineup can change without warning, so prioritizing useful depth needs to take precedence ahead of stashing upside in many cases. That's not to say the likes of Dylan Carlson or Nate Pearson won't be worth stashing, since they'll like be up within the next two weeks. But you'll have to make your own decision on players with less obvious futures.
As for the specific loss of Soto, we unfortunately simply can't even speculate how long he might be out for. This is what separates this situation from typical injuries. Soto could remain asymptomatic and record a few negative tests in two or three weeks, a timetable many of the players who tested positive during summer camp follows. Or, it could be much longer than that. Either way, in a 60-game season, this figures to be a significant loss.
For a Nationals team that lost Anthony Rendon this offseason, this is a huge deal. The top of the order is still solid with Trea Turner and Adam Eaton, but it'll be Starlin Castro batting third and Howie Kendrick hitting cleanup, with Andrew Stevenson stepping into the starting nine to replace Soto in left field. Castro has some appeal after a solid second half in 2019, but Kendrick is a personal favorite of mine. He was one of the best hitters in baseball on a per-plate appearance basis in 2019, and with the DH, he could be a fixture. He might be a top-12 second baseman for Fantasy this season.
And for those of you who lost Soto from you Fantasy roster, the first place you should look is Scott White's waiver-wire column, where he highlights 17 players to target. However, if you want more specifics on outfielders to target, here are five rostered in 60% or fewer of CBS Fantasy leagues to consider:
Playing time concerns abound, but he should start most games as long a she hits. There's legitimate top-30 Fantasy player upside in Tucker's power-speed combination, so if he does hit, he'll be a difference maker.
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Honestly, I thought we might be past the point of Cespedes ever being Fantasy relevant again, but he's apparently looked great in summer camp, and we know he can be an impact player when he's right. Why not roll the dice in a scenario where you need upside anyway?
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We saw how impactful Riley could be at the start of his stint in the majors last season, so now it's about finding consistency. He shined in camp, and if he can keep the strikeouts manageable, Riley could be a must-start outfielder.
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Alright, so Dickerson doesn't have quite the upside the first three do, but he's a better hitter than he gets credit for. He's hit .293 with a 24-homer pace over a 162-game season. Like I said, better than he gets credit for.
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Even at our loftiest expectations, Winker would never be a replacement for Soto. But, especially in OBP or points leagues, he could be a pretty useful player if it all works out. He was never right thanks to a shoulder injury last season, but at his peak, Winker can be a high-OBP player who hits 20-plus homers in a full season. He could be a must-start outfielder if he lives up to the potential
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In addition to Soto, there are still plenty of questions about who will be available to start the season, due to injuries or other reasons. Scott White compiled a list of all of the biggest question marks, categorizing them by their likelihood of returning by Opening Day. You can check that out below:
Jose Altuve
Houston Astros 2B
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leg contusion |
Luis Arraez
Minnesota Twins 2B
|
knee soreness |
Charlie Blackmon
Colorado Rockies RF
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Xander Bogaerts
Boston Red Sox SS
|
hamstring tightness |
Kris Bryant
Chicago Cubs 3B
|
stiff back |
Nick Castellanos
Cincinnati Reds RF
|
tingling in fingers |
Yonny Chirinos
Tampa Bay Rays SP
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
David Dahl
Colorado Rockies CF
|
oblique soreness |
Jacob deGrom
New York Mets SP
|
back tightness |
Dexter Fowler
St. Louis Cardinals RF
|
back tightness |
Freddie Freeman
Atlanta Braves 1B
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Michael Fulmer
Detroit Tigers SP
|
Tommy John surgery |
Brian Goodwin
Los Angeles Angels LF
|
knee contusion |
Andrew Heaney
Los Angeles Angels SP
|
back stiffness |
Keston Hiura
Milwaukee Brewers 2B
|
arm fatigue |
Brad Keller
Kansas City Royals SP
|
COVID-19 (cleared) | *Note: May be limited to 3-4 innings |
DJ LeMahieu
New York Yankees 2B
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Jesus Luzardo
Oakland Athletics RP
|
COVID-19 (cleared) | *Note: Expected to begin in bullpen |
Yoan Moncada
Chicago White Sox 3B
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Max Muncy
Los Angeles Dodgers 2B
|
finger contusion |
Hector Neris
Philadelphia Phillies RP
|
reported late (unspecified) |
Aaron Nola
Philadelphia Phillies SP
|
reported late (contact tracing) |
Wilson Ramos
New York Mets C
|
personal issue |
Anthony Rizzo
Chicago Cubs 1B
|
back inflammation |
Carlos Rodon
Chicago White Sox SP
|
Tommy John surgery |
Miguel Sano
Minnesota Twins 3B
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Jean Segura
Philadelphia Phillies SS
|
bruised hand |
Mallex Smith
Seattle Mariners CF
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reported late (unspecified) |
Kolten Wong
St. Louis Cardinals 2B
|
stiff neck |
Ryan Braun
Milwaukee Brewers LF
|
back, neck, oblique issues |
Byron Buxton
Minnesota Twins CF
|
foot sprain |
Willie Calhoun
Texas Rangers LF
|
hip flexor strain |
Johan Camargo
Atlanta Braves SS
|
hamstring tightness |
Aroldis Chapman
New York Yankees RP
|
COVID-19 (no timetable) |
Robinson Chirinos
Texas Rangers C
|
ankle soreness |
Giovanny Gallegos
St. Louis Cardinals RP
|
travel delay |
Lourdes Gurriel
Toronto Blue Jays LF
|
side tightness |
Yoshihisa Hirano
Seattle Mariners RP
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Jake Junis
Kansas City Royals SP
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
DJ LeMahieu
New York Yankees 2B
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Jose Martinez
Tampa Bay Rays DH
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Scott Oberg
Colorado Rockies RP
|
back soreness |
Jake Odorizzi
Minnesota Twins SP
|
back stiffness |
Roberto Osuna
Houston Astros RP
|
still building up |
Victor Robles
Washington Nationals CF
|
reported late (unspecified) |
Eduardo Rodriguez
Boston Red Sox SP
|
COVID-19 (cleared) | *Note: could start one of first five games |
Anthony Santander
Baltimore Orioles RF
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Juan Soto
Washington Nationals LF
|
late to report (contact tracing) |
Julio Teheran
Los Angeles Angels SP
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Christian Walker
Arizona Diamondbacks 1B
|
groin strain |
Zack Wheeler
Philadelphia Phillies SP
|
baby coming | *Note: scheduled to start Saturday |
Austin Adams
Seattle Mariners RP
|
knee surgery |
Yordan Alvarez
Houston Astros DH
|
undisclosed |
Chase Anderson
Toronto Blue Jays SP
|
oblique strain |
Brandon Belt
San Francisco Giants 1B
|
bruised heel |
Hunter Dozier
Kansas City Royals 3B
|
COVID-19 (no timetable) |
Cole Hamels
Atlanta Braves SP
|
triceps tendinitis |
Mitch Haniger
Seattle Mariners RF
|
back surgery |
Hunter Harvey
Baltimore Orioles RP
|
elbow soreness |
Keone Kela
Pittsburgh Pirates RP
|
undisclosed |
Evan Longoria
San Francisco Giants 3B
|
oblique strain |
Nomar Mazara
Chicago White Sox RF
|
undisclosed |
Brendan McKay
Tampa Bay Rays SP
|
undisclosed |
Austin Meadows
Tampa Bay Rays RF
|
COVID-19 (no timetable) |
John Means
Baltimore Orioles SP
|
arm fatigue |
Tom Murphy
Seattle Mariners C
|
ankle contusion |
Ryan O'Hearn
Kansas City Royals 1B
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Gregory Polanco
Pittsburgh Pirates RF
|
COVID-19 (no timetable) |
A.J. Puk
Oakland Athletics RP
|
shoulder strain |
Jose Quintana
Chicago Cubs SP
|
thumb laceration |
Anthony Rendon
Los Angeles Angels 3B
|
strained oblique | *Note: won't be in opening day lineup; IL stint TBD |
Will Smith
Atlanta Braves RP
|
COVID-19 (no timetable) |
Marcus Stroman
New York Mets SP
|
calf tear |
Masahiro Tanaka
New York Yankees SP
|
Masahiro Tanaka - concussion | *Note: could return July 31 |
Luis Urias
Milwaukee Brewers 2B
|
COVID-19 (cleared) |
Jose Urquidy
Houston Astros SP
|
undisclosed |