Roto Riteup: September 19, 2013

In a surprise twist, “Fun with Arbitrary Endpoints” has been put off until Friday’s edition of the Roto Riteup due to a glut of roto relevant information today.

On today’s agenda:
1. Hanley Ramirez day-to-day
2. Jason Heyward takes BP
3. Yonder Alonso likely out for the year
4. Tim Beckham called up
5. Jose Abreu granted residency in Haiti

Hanley Ramirez day-to-day
It’s no secret that Hanley’s back is not 100%, and the shortstop will sit out a day or two. After sitting out last night’s game, the Dodgers insist that continuing to miss action tomorrow is part of scheduled time off, but that doesn’t feel all that likely. Hanley sat out a few games in a row during the end of last week due to his balky back, so it seems as though it could be something of actual concern, however minor. With the NL West all locked up, expect to see more days off for Hanley going forward.

Jason Heyward takes BP
After seeing live pitching for a first time in almost a month, the Braves believe Heyward may be ready to rejoin the team next week. Heyward fractured his jaw on August 21, and Heyward’s return is actually a tiny bit ahead of schedule. Even though he’ll be back at some point soon, there’s no rush to add the left-hander to your weekly lineups for the next lineup deadline, but seeing the outfielder step back in is great news.

Yonder Alonso likely out for the year
Straight from the player’s mouth, it sounds like Alonso is going to sit out the remainder of the 2013 season due to a hand injury. After not playing since the end of August, the Padres’ first baseman had a painful batting practice session earlier this week and seems ready to move on to 2014. Alonso is a monster of a man, but he’s yet to deliver on his power potential in the big leagues, and I’m beginning to believe he never will. Alonso is just entering his peak physical years, but he’s not going to be on fantasy radars in standard leagues unless the left-handed hitter has a great spring training.

Tim Beckham called up
The Rays have added to their middle infield for the stretch run, adding Beckham to their 40-man roster and calling the right-hander to the big leagues. Beckham was the first overall pick in the 2008 amatuer draft, and while just 23 years old, the shortstop hasn’t lived up to expectations. There’s not a whole lot of room for Beckham to play over the next couple of weeks, and even if you’re in a keeper league there’s no need to add him to your roster.

Jose Abreu granted residency in Haiti
For those of you unaware, Abreu is a slugging first baseman who defected from Cuba and will be a highly sought free agent this offseason. Abreu has a powerful bat, and at 26 years old, the right-hander should be able to step into a major league lineup within a month or two of the start of the 2014 season. For owners looking to invest early once Abreu gets signed, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick wrote up an excellent piece with opinions from scouts that I would highly recommend reading. Abreu being granted residency is an important step in becoming a free agent, and the slugger should have a showcase session in the next couple of weeks. Due to the recent successes of Yoenis Cespedes and Yaisel Puig, there’s a chance Abreu could be overdrafted in fantasy leagues next year, but we still have plenty of time to think about that.