I know it's not the official start to the MLB season, but it is Opening Night for baseball in America. This marks the season long grind for players and fantasy owners alike. Good luck!
Senior Circuit News and Analysis from Sat. March 29th
Jean Segura- MIL-SS There was some doubt as to whether Segura would be ready for Opening Day. He has been dealing with shoulder soreness for the past week. He plans on a light throwing workout on Sunday and should be ready to go for Monday's opener. Segura had a stellar .325/11/36 first half and a not so stellar .241/1/13 second half in 2013. Segura still represents the potential to finish as a top 5 shortstop. Most of his value comes from his ability to steal 30-40 bases, while chipping in with moderate homeruns and runs. Expecting a return to his first half numbers is foolish, but he makes good contact (86%) and his elevated GB/FB rate of 2.52, make him a legit .300 hitter.
Andrew Cashner-SD- SP Cashner will be starting on Opening Day for the San Diego Padres and he is very deserving of that honor. Cashner has always had the big arm, but his role has fluctuated the past couple of seasons. The Padres were committed to Cashner as a starter this past season, and it paid dividends. Cashner's K/9 of 6.58 leaves much to be desired, especially considering his above average stuff. Cashner's xFIP last year was 3.62, compared to his actual ERA of 3.09. However, he did make significant strides in the second half, which has led many experts to peg him as a breakout candidate for 2014. Cashner raised his K/9 from 6.07 to 7.26 in the second half. Opponents only hit .193 of Cashner in the second half. If he can continue the upward trend, he will reward plenty of fantasy owners with a stellar season.
Matt Kemp-LAD-OF Kemp has been recovering from off-season surgeries on his shoulder and ankle. Kemp has declared himself 100% healthy and ready to play. Kemp is eligible to come off the disabled list on April 4th. It remains to be seen, if the Dodgers will take a cautious approach with Kemp early on. Kemp remains an intriguing player for fantasy owners. He presents a rare blend of speed and power. However, surgeries to his shoulder and ankle could sap both his power and speed. If Kemp proves to be healthy and returns to his 2011 self, owners who took the risk in drafting him, will be greatly rewarded. For now, keep your fingers crossed that he can return to form and stay healthy.
Clayton Kershaw-LAD-SP There's not much that can be said about Kershaw, that hasn't already been said. He is down right dirty. He has the lowest career ERA of any pitcher with at least 1000 innings pitched in the live ball era. He has led the league each of the past three seasons in ERA. The only chink in his armor, is a recent back injury that will prevent him from pitching in the Dodgers home opener and has landed him on the 15-day DL. It'll be interesting to see how much time he misses. He has been as safe a bet as there is in fantasy baseball.
Tim Lincecum-SF-SP X-rays were negative on Lincecum's left knee. He was struck by a line drive and had to be helped off the field on Friday. It remains to be seen if he will miss any starts. He did not have a particularly good spring. He finished with a 5.79 ERA. With diminished velocity, Lincecum will not be returning to being "the Freak" anytime soon, but he can still be valuable to fantasy owners if he can keep his ERA under four and provide above average strikeouts.
@philip_double
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