And another one goes down. Corey Seager was forced to leave Wednesday's game against the Tigers with a hamstring injury while running the bases, and while the team downplayed the injury after the game, it seems reasonable to be pretty concerned about yet another hamstring injury for Seager. He grabbed his left hamstring while rounding first base, and that's the same one that landed him on the IL for five weeks last year; it's also the same one he missed four weeks with during the 2019 season.
For what it's worth, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters after the game that it was a precautionary removal, and Seager isn't yet set for an MRI – the team will take the off day Thursday to determine the extent of the injury before determining a timetable if there even is one. So, maybe there's no reason to worry; maybe it's nothing that a few days off can't fix.
Here are a few shortstops to consider adding in case you need to replace Seager:
JP Crawford, Mariners (65%) – Crawford hasn't been great this season, but we're talking about just a 38-game sample size after Crawford was a legitimate difference maker in points leagues last season. He finished as a top-110 player in both formats but was the No. 12 shortstop in points leagues. He can still be a starter there if you need one.
Jose Caballero, Rays (64%) – And, if you're in a category league, go see if Caballero is available in yours. He's the No. 11 shortstop and a top-70 player for the season in Roto, in large part thanks to his AL-best 20 steals.
Masyn Winn, Cardinals (54%) – Winn has been terrific this season, and assuming the back injury he missed Wednesday's game with is nothing to be concerned about, he should be more rostered than he is. He has the contact skills to be a factor in points leagues, and projects to continue to be a solid source of batting average and steals for Roto leagues; and, with his recent move up the lineup, the counting stats could start to pile up.
Zach Neto, Angels (30%) – Neto has been a disappointment so far this season, but I still think there's a decent amount of upside with Neto, who hit his seventh homer Wednesday. There's 20-20 potential here if he gets going.
David Hamilton, Red Sox (15%) – Hamilton is playing pretty regularly for the Red Sox and sports a .273/.339/.404 line for the season. He'll be a decent source of speed and could hit in the .260-.270 range, making him a decent option in Roto, if not a great replacement for Seager.
There's no replacing a player like Seager, who has been hitting .326/.434/.730 since his OPS slipped below .600 for the last time on May 5. Hopefully this ends up being as minor as the team hopes, but given the tricky nature of hamstrings, I'm not going to hold my breath. Let's hope for the best, but prepare for an absence. And now, let's get to the rest of Wednesday's action:
Thursday's (other) top waiver targets
Cade Povich, SP, Orioles (24%) – Povich wasn't viewed as a top-100 prospect entering the season, but he's put himself on the Fantasy map with a terrific run at Triple-A, sporting a 3.18 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 75 strikeouts in 56.2 innings to open the season. Control has been the biggest issue for Povich as a prospect, as he walked 12% of opposing batters last season, but he's cut that to a much more manageable 9% so far this season. He's expected to make his MLB debut Thursday for the Orioles, and while I'm not convinced he's a difference maker, pitching in that home park half the time, with that lineup backing him up, he could be a very viable Fantasy option if he sticks around for more than just a cup of coffee.
Zack Gelof, 2B, Athletics (55%) – It's been a truly disastrous season for Gelof, who still has a sub-.600 OPS a week into June. And yet, you don't really have to squint too hard to see how he can still be a pretty useful Fantasy option. After homering and stealing a base Wednesday, he's now up to five and six respectively, giving him a 162-game pace of 18 HR and 22 SB. That's not going to cut it when he's hitting just .193 with a 33% strikeout rate, so there's obviously plenty of work to do. But if he gets back on track, Gelof can still be that impact player everyone liked as a breakout candidate coming into the season.
Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B, Tigers (8%) – I wasn't too excited about Malloy when he got the call for the Tigers, because I'm just not sure he's ever going to be someone you can rely on for batting average in the majors and I don't buy him being a Max Muncy-esque power threat to make up for it. But he has started each of his first three games since getting called up and homered for the first time Wednesday, so credit where it's due. He's worth a look in 15-team leagues just in case he outperforms my expectations.