The first official week of the fantasy baseball season is nearing it's completion and despite just the handful of games that have been played there are already some headlines being made around the league with those fantasy baseball player rankings being shifted around and many fantasy baseball waiver wires already being filled with activity. Friday was another day of big performances as well as some unfortunate, but maybe expected outcomes based off past history.

 

Byron Buxton Injured Again

As much as we all love the potential that Byron Buxton brings to the table the stark reality here is that the man just can not stay healthy. Every season it's something new and on Friday he once again injured himself on a play against the Red Sox.

Now, it was reported that Buxton told trainers as he walked off “ I felt it pop” which was the trending tweet around twitter and one that had many fearing the worst, especially given his lengthy injury history. This morning however we are seeing reports that Buxton avoided any long-term issue here and may only miss a week of action.

Make sure you check out the fantasy baseball injury report that comes out each week for updates on Buxton's situation moving forward.

Francisco Lindor Looks to Put Last Year Behind Him

No doubt that 2021 was a season to forget for Lindor after he was a prized acquisition by the Mets only to hit a career-low .230 with an OPS of just .734. The 2022 season is off to a much better start as the Mets infielder has already hit three home runs on the year and has an OPS of 1.161 over the first eight games. He hit two of those three home runs last night and his batting average is now up to .296.  Those who were willing to bet on the bounce back from Lindor in their fantasy baseball drafts are being rewarded early on this season.

Shohei Ohtani Says Oh Hello x2 

Lindor wasn't the only player to launch two home runs on Friday as Ohtani hit his first and second home runs of the season. His first blast was a leadoff homer against Rangers opener Matt Bush and the second came against lefty Kolby Allard. Ohtani is hitting just .206 on the season but a night like this is something that can get a hitter going in the right direction. Ohtani hit 46 home runs last season and that upside is one of the reasons he was ranked pretty highly among many fantasy baseball player rankings and taken in the first round of most fantasy baseball drafts this season.

Carlos Rodón Proving to Be Worth The Money

Rodon was a big free-agent signing by the Giants during the offseason, locking him down for a 2-year deal worth 44 million dollars. Through his first two starts of the season, Rodon has been as advertised, allowing just two runs over 12 innings while striking out 21. Rodon was going around the sixth round of most fantasy baseball drafts this offseason and those who had him ranking highly in their fantasy baseball player rankings are being rewarded with a top-five starting pitcher output. 

MacKenzie Gore Makes His Major League Debut 

Many fantasy baseball managers had drafted Gore this season with hopes that he would have started the year with the San Diego Padres however he did not make the club out of Spring Training which saw his name head to most fantasy baseball waiver wires. Those who drafted Gore and held on however did not have to wait long to see the former top 10 prospects make his debut after Blake Snell landed on the injured list. Gore was solid in his debut start against a tough Braves lineup, allowing just two runs on three hits over 5.1 innings pitched. How long does Gore stay up for? That remains to be seen but the debut should at least make the Padres consider keeping him around.

Forgettable Start For Freddy Peralta 

Things are not off to a great start for Brewers starter Freddy Peralta. In his first start, he lasted just four innings against the Cubs, allowing three runs on three hits while walking four. His second start was an absolute disaster as he allowed six runs on seven hits over three innings against the Cardinals. nine runs over seven innings to start the year is not going to cut it for someone that was being drafted in round five of most fantasy baseball drafts. I'm not saying it's time to cut bait here and put him on the waiver wire but another bad start here and it is time to certainly sound the alarm.

Saturday Thoughts

There are some elite pitching options on today's slate with the likes of Justin Verlander, Julio Urías and Trevor Rogers taking the mound. I think it's also worth noting that the run totals for today's slate aren't as high as they were over the past few games with the exception of the Coors Field matchup between the Cubs and Rockies that currently have a run total of 12 which is the highest I have seen this year. The Dodgers, Yankees and Blue Jays are the biggest favorites on the board today as they face the Reds, Orioles and Athletics.

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