CBRACKE
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The Twins have been without right fielder Michael Cuddyer since he went on the DL on June 28th with a strained tendon in the knuckle of his left index finger and despite a CT scan not revealing any further bone abnormalities, the frustration continues.
Cuddyer been experiencing soreness in the palm of his hand and even though tests are coming back without any new glaring issues, the injury has not shown much improvement since he went on the DL. According to MLB.com, Twin Cities hand specialist Dr. Tom Varecka injected the player’s knuckle and tendon sheath to try to relieve the pain, and it’s expected to be another few days before he’ll be able to determine if the injections will work.
You never want anyone to suffer through injury, but Cuddyer’s absence is actually a blessing for both the Twins and fantasy owners. This has allowed promising outfield prospect Denard Span (heir apparent to Torii Hunter when Hunter left and prior to the Santana deal) to emerge as a star. After going 3-for-4 against the Yankees on Monday, Span has hit .370 with 11 walks in 17 games since his recall in June. He’s made incredible plays in the field and there have been multiple games that he has been single-handedly responsible for getting a rally started.
Span is owned in a remarkably low 1.4% of fantasy leagues on ESPN. 1.4 frickin’ percent! Since his recall, only eight outfielders have hit for a better average and yet he can’t find a spot on the rosters of fantasy owners. He’s proven enough that he’ll get every chance to play regularly even if and when Cuddyer does return to the lineup. Don’t believe me? Consider that manager Ron Gardenhire slid center fielder Carlos Gomez to the ninth spot in the order and moved Span up to the leadoff spot for Tuesday’s game against the Bronx Bombers.
He’s proven he can be a spark plug for the Twins success and it’s time fantasy owners realize he’s more than a temporary plug in. After all, he may not be a Cuddy Buddy, but Spandom Fandom is gaining members just as quickly.
Photo courtesy of UMN.edu
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