We started this monthly feature with two goals:
1. Giving you options for players who have been hurt or ineffective.
2. Making fun of Keanu Reeves and one of the best bad movies of all time.
With that in mind, let's get started with the second analysis of players who are playing because a starter is injured or ineffective. Ideally, these players will be useful in deeper mixed leagues and AL- and NL-only formats. Some, however, should join Reeves on the unplayable list.
All statistics are through May 17. Reeves' numbers, on the other hand, have only gone down since 2000. (I promise to have run out of Replacement jokes by Month 3.)
Brennan Boesch, OF, Tigers
He got his break when Carlos Guillen was placed on the disabled list April 24. The rookie has taken full advantage, batting .380 with three home runs, 19 RBI and a 1.068 OPS in his first 71 at-bats. In 13 games in May, Boesch is hitting .438 with two homers, 12 RBI and a 1.190 OPS in 48 at-bats.
Guillen is expected to be activated from the DL on May 29, but he will return as a second baseman, not outfielder. That should mean continued everyday at-bats for Boesch, a third-round pick by Detroit in 2006.
From 2006 to '09 in the minor leagues, Boesch batted only .269 with a .742 OPS. However, he was very productive in Double-A in 2009 (28 homers, 93 RBI, 11 steals and a .275 average in 527 at-bats) and was off to a torrid start in Triple-A this year before the Tigers promoted him (.379 average, 1.075 OPS, three homers and 17 RBI in 58 at-bats).
He will struggle at some point -- all rookies not named Albert Pujols or Jason Heyward do. Regardless, Boesch for the time being is a starter in AL-only leagues and can be a regular in deeper mixed formats.
Alfredo Simon, RP, Orioles
Last month, we poked fun at temporary Orioles closer Jim Johnson, allowing for another Reeves reference. With Johnson demoted to the minor leagues, Simon has been much more effective as the fill-in for the injured Mike Gonzalez.
Simon certainly hasn't been boring -- he has a 1.92 WHIP and has allowed 10 hits and six walks in only 8 1/3 innings -- but he's also converted five of six eventful save opportunities. The 29-year-old's numbers are somewhat deceiving, since he hadn't allowed an earned run until blowing a save May 15 against the Indians, who scored eight runs in the ninth inning (four against Simon) to rally from a 2-0 deficit.
Still, Simon doesn't have much of a minor-league track record, which usually is not a good sign for The Show. In 137 games, including 87 starts, down on the farm from 2004-09, Simon was 17 games under .500 (25-42) with a 4.86 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and an average of 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
The O's haven't announced a timetable for Gonzalez's return from a shoulder injury, but it seems to be at least a few weeks away. Simon is a decent option in AL-only leagues (all closers are), but that's as far as his value extends while pitching on a team that has baseball's worst record.
Jose Contreras, RP, Phillies
The Phillies are one of baseball's best teams, but they also might have its goofiest closing situation.
The regular closer -- Brad Lidge -- was 0-8 with a 7.21 ERA and 11 blown saves last season, and he is now on the disabled list with an elbow injury. His replacement, Ryan Madson, is out until at least July after he broke his right big toe after losing a one-on-one battle with a metal folding chair following a blown save at San Francisco.
Five players have at least one save for Philadelphia -- led by Madson's four -- and four of them have only one. The temporary closer is believed to the 38-year-old Contreras, who has made only 31 of his 206 career appearances out of the bullpen.
He has been productive in his first season with the Phillies, beginning the year 2-1 with a 0.68 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.
Lidge hopes to return from the DL as soon as he's eligible, which would be Week 8, significantly limiting Contreras' fantasy value. But Lidge has pitched in only four games this season and hasn't been himself since his remarkable 2008 season.
If you have the roster space, stash Contreras in deeper formats and be ready for another Lidge injury or run of blown saves.
Short hops
The following three players were mentioned in our weekly waiver-wire piece, and all three haven't disappointed since. They are replacements who are now fantasy starters:
- Mike Aviles, 2B, SS, Royals: Through May 17, he had registered a hit in 11 of 13 games in May, and he is playing so well that Chris Getz has been banished to the bench. Aviles is batting .377 with two homers and an .887 OPS this month and should be a starter in deeper formats.
- John Ely, SP, Dodgers: The rookie is 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings in his first four starts. Even better: Ely is 2-0 with a 2.29 ERA and 21 Ks in 19 2/3 innings in his last three contests. Until Ely realizes he's a rookie, he's a must-play in NL-only leagues and should be strongly considered in mixed formats.
- Derek Holland, SP, Rangers: He has won each of his first two starts, compiling a 2.38 ERA and 10 Ks in 11 1/3 innings. As we wrote in Week 7, Holland was awful in 2009 as a rookie, but his minor-league numbers suggest he should be very good soon.