Outlook JJ Wetherholt
JJ Wetherholt remains sidelined by wrist tendinitis as St. Louis looks for offense
Wetherholt has been out of action since late August after landing on the 10-day injured list with right wrist tendinitis and receiving an anti-inflammatory shot. He went hitless across his final two appearances and batted just .209 over his last 30 contests prior to the injury, temporarily ceding second base duties to José Fermín. His absence hurts a fourth-place Cardinals club that sits at 72-75 and is currently mired in a three-game skid.
Before wrist discomfort compromised his swing, the rookie infielder enjoyed an impressive campaign featuring 17 homers and 14 stolen bases across 130 games. His late-August dip clearly stemmed from physical limitations rather than declining skills, and our projections anticipate a swift return to his balanced power-speed baseline once he is pain-free. He remains an elite fantasy asset whenever he is able to play.
St. Louis finishes the week hosting the White Sox against vulnerable starters like Erick Fedde (4.07 ERA) and Anthony Kay (4.69 ERA). However, with Wetherholt still resting following his injection and lacking a firm activation date, he will not play this weekend. Keep him stashed on injured reserve until he begins swinging a bat again. Sit.
Updated 1 day ago
Latest News JJ Wetherholt
Outlook Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Christian Encarnacion-Strand primed for weekend power output against vulnerable Toronto pitching
Encarnacion-Strand has firmly settled in as Baltimore's everyday starter at third base, capitalizing on injuries to Jordan Westburg and Blaze Alexander. For the fifth-place, 71-76 Orioles, he has delivered solid run production over the last 30 days, batting .266 with five home runs and 20 RBIs despite cooling off to a .233 mark over the past two weeks.
His power surge in Baltimore looks legitimate, as he has already tallied eight home runs and a .477 slugging mark across 45 appearances, vastly exceeding our early-season expectations. Although a 30 percent strikeout rate keeps his batting average vulnerable to cold spells, his secure lineup volume and hard-contact profile provide a sturdy fantasy floor down the stretch.
Looking ahead to the remainder of this week, Baltimore travels to Toronto for three games, where Encarnacion-Strand draws appealing matchups against Max Scherzer (6.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) and Spencer Arrighetti (5.12 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) before closing against Dylan Cease (2.43 ERA). With two consecutive vulnerable starters lined up, he warrants fantasy lineups. Start.
Updated 1 day ago
