HOT
Marlon Byrd
There isn’t a great sample size in Cincinnati Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd’s resurgence, but his last week is a promising sign for future production.
Byrd went on the disabled list on June 2 after suffering a fractured right wrist. Before going on the DL, Byrd wasn’t producing at a high fantasy baseball rate. Since returning from the DL on June 19, he’s been a different player.
He’s batting .308, with three runs, two home runs and four RBIs in the last six games. Those numbers are closer to what Byrd generally averages in the first half of seasons during his 17-year Major League Baseball career.
It’s difficult to pull the trigger on Byrd on only six games, but he’s had 24 and 23 home runs each in the last two seasons, meaning that his power numbers will likely continue. During those years he also had 85 and 88 RBIs.
If Byrd can continue hitting for power and driving in runs, he could be a boost to fantasy baseball rosters without strength in those areas.
NOT
Johnny Cueto
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto is still a quality option in fantasy baseball. However, the discomfort he’s shown lately in his elbow should cause worries for fantasy baseball owners.
Cueto got an extra day of rest this week in-between starts, and that was coming off a 5 1/3-inning outing where he surrendered three earned runs and struck out four batters. He also allowed two walks.
That wasn’t a great outing, but every pitcher will have a bad outing or two. Cueto will still record plenty of strikeouts and has a 0.95 WHIP on the season, meaning he should be owned in all fantasy baseball leagues. However, owners would be wise to keep an eye on possible injury issues.
