Fantasy impact: Jays' Bautista hits DL

Published Jul. 17, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Blue Jays basher Jose Bautista was placed on the 15-day DL Tuesday thanks to injuring his left wrist against the Bronx Bombers on Monday night. After a slow start to the 2012 campaign, the All-Star outfielder had been on fire since May 16, hitting .277 with 19 homers, 46 RBI and a .388 OBP in that span. Bautista heads to the sidelines with 27 bombs, second-most in the majors this season.

While the Silver Slugger roamed right field in the Rogers Centre this year, much of Bautista’s fantasy worth stemmed from his position eligibility at third base. Keeping the hot corner in mind, here’s a list of third basemen who can serve as viable replacements until Joey Bats returns:

Todd Frazier, Reds: Ready to get your hair blown back? In 264 at bats, the golden child Bryce Harper has eight homers, 25 RBI and a .273/.346/.451 slash. In 187 at bats, Frazier, a fellow rookie, has 10 jacks, 30 RBI and a .278/.346/.567 line. Yet Harper is owned in 82.7 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, while Frazier is possessed in a meager 1.6 percent of formats. With Joey Votto out for at least a month, Frazier will see extended playing time in the middle of the Reds lineup.

Pedro Alvarez, Pirates: Yes, we know he’s hitting under .230 on the season, but the Pittsburgh third baseman also has 18 homers and 54 RBI to his credit. Better yet, he’s hitting .310 with a .402 OBP in his last 25 games. Alvarez is available in nearly 70 percent of leagues.

Kyle Seager, Mariners: This comes with a caveat, as Seager is under the Mendoza Line when playing at home. However, away from the Emerald City? Seager has been wielding a mean hammer, flaunting a .304 average in 42 games on the road. Also maintaining eligibility at second base, Seager is owned in just 26.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.

Chase Headley, Padres: Headley holds a little more value in OBP leagues rather than average formats, but the 28-year-old is hitting .280 over his last 24 games. Petco Park certainly hinders his performance, so, like Seager, try to implement Headley when he’s on the road, where he’s hitting .279 with eight homers in 45 games in 2012. As he’s rumored to be on the trade block, a move out of San Diego could lead to a bump in worth for Headley, who is available in 53 percent of leagues.