YANKEES- 04/01/03

LATEST TEAM INFO:
We're all wishing Derek Jeter missing a minimum of 6 weeks with a dislocated shoulder was some cruel April Fool's joke, but it isn't. In the Yankee opener, Jeter had a nasty collison with Blue Jay catcher Ken Huckaby while advancing from 1st to 3rd base on a come-backer to the mound. Jeter will have an MRI on Thursday to determine the full extent of the damage. In the meantime, expect to be without one of the top 4 shortstops for an extended period of time. Skipper Joe Torre announced that Erick Almonte will get the majority of playing time and will likely bat 9th. In both mixed and AL-only leagues there are better options at SS than Almonte.

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE:

In the Yankees first game without Jeter, DH Nick Johnson took his spot in the lineup. As long as Johnson can produce in the two slot, he should stay there, and if he doesn't look for a larger shakeup to the lineup. Johnson could be a nice short-term pickup for your Utility slot.

RUMOR MILL:

Mariano Rivera will be out until late April with a strained groin. In the meantime, Juan Acevedo will get the majority of save opportunites and is another nice short-term pickup. He may get 4 to 5 saves before Rivera gets back and that could translate into an extra few points in the standings for you by the end of the year.

INJURIES:

The Yankee relief core is weakened by the injuries to Steve Karsay and Mariano Rivera. Karsay should return sometime in early May from shoulder bursitis. I will update on the status of Jeter once more information becomes available.

2003 LINEUP:

1. 2B Alfonso Soriano (drafted #4)- could go 40-40 this year with a ton of runs. He has proven he doesn't need to walk a lot to be successful.
2. DH Nick Johnson should get more RBI opportunities and will definitely score more runs here.
3. 1B/DH Jason Giambi (drafted #8)- should put up similar numbers, look for average to improve.
4. CF Bernie Williams (drafted #76)- steady yet unspectacular. Don't count on him to be your top OF, but expect a slight improvement in HR production.
5. LF Hideki Matsui (drafted #103)- write him in for 25 homers and the rest is gravy.
6. C Jorge Posada (drafted #50)- steady and top AL hitting catcher.
6. 3B Robin Ventura (drafted #209)- a steal if he can repeat last year's numbers. May lose some time to Zeile.
8. RF Raul Mondesi (drafted #196)- an albatross on your batting average. If you can support that he adds some nice power and steals for your last OF spot.
9. SS Enrique Wilson/ Erick Almonte- there are better options out there.

Posted by Alex Escobar at 06:00 PM | Comments (3)

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