Mike Trout hit the IL this week, causing fantasy managers to shake their fists at the air and wonder, “Why can’t we have nice things?” Trout is expected to miss up to two months with a fractured wrist. He joins sluggers Aaron Judge and Yordan Alvarez, two other first-round picks, that have also had fantasy managers singing the blues.
We got more concerning news Thursday night, when Corbin Carroll left the Mets-Diamondbacks game early with an apparent shoulder injury. Carroll is the current favorite for the NL Rookie of the Year and we are all praying Arizona’s young star didn’t re-injure his surgically repaired torn labrum.
Please baseball gods- Not Corbin Carrol! 😩
— Jennifer Piacenti (@jenpiacenti) July 7, 2023
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Hopefully we will see Alvarez and Judge shortly after the All-Star break but in the meantime, here are five outfielders to consider as replacements for Trout. If you’re in 10- to 12-team leagues, all of these players could be available. I am including some players that will be available in deeper leagues, for those of you who play in 14-teamers, and a shortstop who could be available if you need to replace Jose Altuve.
I can’t believe we are halfway through the season already. Time flies when you are having fun! Let’s make the last waiver run before the All-Star break count.
Colton Cowser, OF (BAL)
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The Orioles called up yet another spectacular young prospect this week, and he looked good in his debut Wednesday vs. the Yankees, with a hit and a run scored. The no. 2 lefty prospect for Baltimore was impressing at Triple-A before his call-up, hitting .330 with 10 homers, seven stolen bases and a .996 OPS across 203 at-bats. Cowser may be able to play himself into an everyday role, and he is available in 90% of fantasy leagues.
Jack Suwinski, OF (PIT)
The Pirates centerfielder should no longer be ignored. Not only does Suwinski have 19 homers, 46 RBIs and seven stolen bases this season, his max exit velocity is in the top 5% of the league. And here’s more: His barrel rate and walk rate are in the top 2%, while his xSLG and expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) are in the top 6%. All of this to say: It’s legit. Not only is the hitting for real, his batting average should only improve from here. Indeed, Suwinski already has three homers, eight RBIs and a .400 batting average in July.
James Outman, OF (LAD)
After an impressive first month of the season, the no. 8 prospect for L.A. cooled off in May and June, hitting only .195 with two homers across that time span, causing him to be dropped in many fantasy leagues. But, Outman still has a barrel rate in the 71st percentile and a max exit velocity in the 73rd percentile of the MLB, in addition to 89th percentile speed. Outman clubbed two homers on Tuesday and followed up with a hit and a stolen base on Wednesday. I’m willing to gamble on a July resurgence.
Jarren Duran, OF (BOS)
Duran is batting .310 this season with four homers and 16 stolen bases. With a max exit velocity in the 83rd percentile and a hard-hit rate in the 80th percentile, we could expect more power in the hot summer months, too. Fenway is a boon for hitters, and Duran makes good contact in addition to being speedy. He’s available in 90% of leagues.
Tony Kemp, OF (OAK)
I know, I know. He plays for Oakland. But since July, Kemp has been batting .275 with a pair of home runs and six stolen bases. Kemp is a deep-league pickup only.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS/MI (COL)
Tovar’s 15-game hitting streak finally came to an end on July 4 vs. the Astros, but he picked right back up again on Wednesday with a hit and a run scored, raising his season average to .266 after a slow start to the season. With a hitter-friendly home ballpark in Colorado, the young shortstop Tovar could be a useful pickup.
