Outlook Michael McGreevy
Injuries Cloud Season-Long Playing Time and Draft Value for Díaz
Aledmys Díaz enters the season facing significant uphill battles regarding health and guaranteed playing time. Now on the injured list with a severe calf strain, the veteran infielder has no firm timeline for a return to a rebuilding Oakland squad. Prior to his injury, he was projected to slot in as a primary bench option and utility infielder behind the team's younger infield core. At 33 years old, his defensive versatility remains his primary path to the field, but physical durability has increasingly limited his ability to secure a consistent role.
When healthy, our models project Díaz to receive a modest 225 at-bats, yielding around five home runs, 23 runs, and 24 RBI. Historically a contact-oriented hitter, his projected .239 batting average and .290 on-base percentage reflect substantial degradation from his prime career numbers. Díaz is virtually a non-factor in the speed department, with our data projecting just one stolen base over his limited action. Fantasy managers should view his offensive profile as a batting average risk with minimal power upside, making him highly dependent on volume that may never materialize.
Given his current injury status and backup role on a projected bottom-tier team, Díaz does not warrant a selection in standard mixed-league drafts. His path to fantasy relevance requires both a full recovery and multiple injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. He should be left on the waiver wire in all but the deepest AL-only formats where utility depth is at an absolute premium.
Updated 2 days ago
Latest News Michael McGreevy
Outlook Walker Buehler
Walker Buehler finds his groove with an intriguing two-start week on tap for the Padres.
Walker Buehler has looked sharp lately, posting a 3.32 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over his last five starts with 20 strikeouts. His recent resurgence is a welcome sight for the third-place Padres (33-31), who are currently missing several key rotation arms like Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. Buehler currently slots in as a mid-rotation staple in San Diego's starting group and is fully healthy.
While his recent 30-day stretch is highly encouraging, our models expect some regression, projecting a 5.06 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 121.0 innings for the season. This aligns more closely with his 4.68 ERA on the year and his 5.04 ERA from last season. However, his vastly improved control over the last 30 days suggests he could outperform these conservative expectations if his command holds.
Buehler is lined up as a lucrative two-start pitcher this week. His first outing comes today at home against Cincinnati and Andrew Abbott, followed by a Sunday road matchup in Baltimore against Trevor Rogers, who has struggled with a 6.58 ERA. With our weekly projection forecasting a clean 3.36 ERA across 11.0 innings with eight strikeouts, he is a strong weekly option. Verdict: Start.
Updated 2 days ago
