Fantasy owners were dealt a blow Saturday night with the news that aces Cliff Lee (left oblique) and Daniel Hudson (shoulder) were placed on the disabled list by their respective squads. Both were recent victims of bad luck, as Lee submitted one of the more brilliant performances of his career, throwing 10 innings of shutout baseball against the Giants only for the Phils to fall 1-0 in the 11th, while Hudson held the Pirates to two runs in 7.2 innings of work in a losing effort on Wednesday.
Though both issues are disconcerting, neither should keep the hurlers out for longer than their scheduled sideline time of two weeks. Yet for Lee and Hudson proprietors looking for some short-term relief, here are a few available options:
- Despite a 3-1 record, 2.63 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, Oakland’s Bartolo Colon is owned in just 33.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. Operating in pitcher-friendly confines, don’t expect a major drop-off from the former Cy Young winner anytime soon.
- Ross Detwiler (7.2 percent) is 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 15 strikeouts for the upstart Washington Nationals.
- Baltimore’s Jason Hammel has a solid 18 K’s in 19 innings with a respectable 2.37 ERA and is owned in only 7.7 percent of leagues.
- He garnered news with his shutout in Coors Field, but Barry Zito (30.6 percent) has been commendable in two outings since and possesses a 1.71 ERA on the young season.
Reminder: make sure to place Lee and/or Hudson on your roster’s DL spot in order to replace the injured stars without penalty.
