Twins pitcher Eric Milton seemed to be on the road to recovery early in spring training, but then his troublesome left knee locked up on him last week. Milton was slated to have arthroscopic surgery Wednesday.
He hopes to return in early April, but the Twins told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he will probably will miss most of that month and have targeted him for an early May return. The Twins will be able to set a more definitive date once the operation is completed.
Milton originally had surgery in August and was able to return and pitch during the playoffs. The knee began to bother him once again this spring. When asked how it felt a few weeks ago, Milton told reporters: "I can definitely pitch through it. These guys (Twins doctors) are making more out of it than I want to be made out of it. I'm just going to go out and do my job. These guys are obviously concerned about the swelling, but that's the last thing on my mind." It now seems that Milton might be overly optimistic when assessing his injuries.
Don't spend more than $5 for Milton in an AL-only league and hold off on selecting him until the late rounds of a draft. Johan Santana will replace him in the starting rotation for now and is well worth bids between $10-$15. Santana has the potential to be productive in every major starting pitching category and might not relinquish his starting spot once Milton returns.
Kyle Lohse could be the odd man out if Milton returns and is at full strength. Temper your expectations for Lohse and try not to bid more than $5 for his services.
Herbert Perry, 3B, Texas Rangers
Perry was a sleeper last season and became very useful in AL-only leagues. Now shoulder and knee pain threaten to make him nothing more than waiver-wire fodder. Perry is suffering from pain in his right shoulder. An MRI on the shoulder was negative and revealed nothing more than natural wear and tear in the joint.
The infielder is also suffering from pain in his right knee, another byproduct of playing many years. An MRI on his knee revealed a deep bone bruise. Perry believes the pain in his knee is being caused by cartilage damage, an injury that originally occurred in 1996. Perry probably won't return to limited action for two or three weeks, but manager Buck Showalter expects him to be ready for the start of the season.
"I don't think I'll ever be 100 percent (this year) and be able to do what I did last year," Perry told the Dallas Morning News. "But I don't want to have surgery this year. If I have surgery on either one, it's going to be a long rehab."
Perry was productive last season batting .276 with 22 home runs and 77 RBI. But Fantasy leaguers should avoid using Perry if he believes that he will be less than 100 percent. Don't offer more than $3 for him in AL-only leagues. Perry's misfortune might result in a major opportunity for infield prospects Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock. The Rangers still perceive Perry to be their opening day third baseman, but one of these two prospects might get a chance to play if the veteran's condition worsens.
Teixeira is one of the best hitting prospects in baseball and has done well so far this spring going 6-for-14 (.429) with three RBI. Blalock is another solid hitting prospect, but hasn't been as successful as Teixeira. He hit .211 in his 49-game stint as the third baseman last season and is only 3-for-11 (.273) in his first four games this spring. Also, the Rangers are taking looks at Blalock for second base. Nevertheless, bidding for either player isn't a bad move, especially in keeper leagues. Be prepared to spend between $5-$8 for their services.
