The good news regarding the fractured right hand of Los Angeles Dodgers SS Corey Seager is that he does not need surgery, so he could return to the Dodgers -- and your fantasy baseball teams -- in about a month. We do worry about immediate power output whenever there is a hand injury and that may be a concern here, but still, Seager is a top-100 fantasy option. Keeping him rostered is the right move.
The bad news about Seager, in the bigger picture, is that he was not really performing close to statistical expectations, ranking just 18th among shortstops on the ESPN Player Rater and tied for 10th at the position in points formats. A .265 batting average with a mere four home runs nearly 25% of the way into the season is not what we drafted in Round 3. After all, Seager hit .307 with 15 home runs in 52 games last season and can become a free agent this winter. This is not how he wanted to perform, but he can do much damage over the final three months.
While we expect Seager to eventually get going offensively -- and perhaps he will in a month -- go get Brandon Crawford, Miguel Rojas, Jorge Polanco or Joey Wendle as fill-ins. The first three are among the most-added shortstops in ESPN standard formats, and each is a capable veteran with limited upside, but at least they are healthy. Wendle is on the most-dropped side, but should not be. I would be a bit wary of Arizona's Josh Rojas because Ketel Marte may return from injury soon and usurp his playing time.
I find it so interesting that the "can't miss" Dodgers enter this week sitting in third place in the NL West, but injuries never play favorites, and they can quickly ruin depth. How will the team replace Seager? The obvious choice is young Gavin Lux, as he started at shortstop on Sunday, hitting fifth. He singled and walked over five plate appearances to raise his OPS to a mere .591. Last season, over just 69 PA, his OPS was .595. Lux has been a top prospect for years, and many expected stardom by now. Well, now is the opportunity.
A line-drive machine with one of the top hit tools in the minors back in 2019, most prospect analysts expected Lux to hit for relevant power and steal bases -- a true five-category talent. Seager blocked his way at shortstop, but Lux handled second base in the majors with little issue. The issue was at the plate. Lux has now played in 72 big league games, covering 264 PA, and is hitting a sad .219 with only six home runs and an elevated strikeout rate. He is better than this, so now is the time to add him (even in mixed leagues), just in case.
Then again, the Dodgers may not truly commit to him at all. Veteran Chris Taylor can handle shortstop and they have several options for second base, even though Max Muncy is better at first base and Sheldon Neuse has yet to hit in the majors. If Cody Bellinger could play soon, the Dodgers would have more options. This once-deep lineup now relies on Matt Beaty, Luke Raley and Lux -- and with mixed results. The lefty-hitting Lux has struggled versus same-sided throwers in his career, and a platoon may be pending here. A healthy Taylor has to play, but the platoon partner could be ... Albert Pujols?
Since Muncy can move to second and Taylor to short, watch Pujols handle regular duties at first base against left-handed pitchers. Pujols is far past his prime, but even in this rough season in which the Los Angeles Angels let him go and continue to pay his hefty contract, the future Hall of Famer boasts a useful .878 OPS against left-handed pitching. The Dodgers will face several left-handed starters this week. This hardly makes Pujols a mixed-league add, but for daily formats, when he faces the likes of Madison Bumgarner, sure.
The Dodgers also added struggling Yoshi Tsutsugo after the Tampa Bay Rays designated him for assignment. Tsutsugo is a .187 hitter in his two big-league seasons, although he has some power and can draw walks. It is so odd to see the defending World Series champions picking up a pair of struggling players for depth, when they appeared to have so much of it, but here we are. Tsutsugo hits left-handed. He and Pujols could platoon at first base, but eventually both should handle pinch-hitting duties.
Bellinger has been one of the season's bigger fantasy busts, batting only 21 times before suffering a hairline fracture in his lower leg. He he may go on a minor-league rehab assignment soon. While I think Bellinger is a bit overrated for statistical purposes as he has hit better than .267 in just one of his seasons, I still had little issue with him going ahead of Seager in drafts. These are excellent players and the Dodgers need them. Be patient and the numbers will come.
One final Dodgers thought is to keep an eye on the role for left-hander David Price, who may come off the injured list from his hamstring injury on Monday. The Dodgers do not yet list a starting pitcher for Friday at San Francisco and, with Dustin May out for the season after Tommy John surgery and Tony Gonsolin on the mend from shoulder issues, Price figures to get the opportunity. Hey, it all comes down to opportunity! Price, 35, pitched exclusively in relief earlier this season and perhaps the Dodgers will continue to utilize him this way. Who knows? We shall soon see.