The three scariest words in all of sports are that of noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. Much like a plague or an ex-girlfriend, hearing his name instills fear and usually signals the end of a season for an athlete. Clay Buchholz, c’mon down!

Buchholz visited Andrews after continuous shoulder discomfort. This visit could signal the beginning of the end of Clay’s 2013, or just be a way to cover all bases before toeing the rubber again. Regardless of what happens in the near future, Buchholz should have been traded away or avoided if made available. Why? Because I was right from the word go.

The injury bug has bitten Buchholz way too often, so I do not want to come off crass and ignorant. I just wanted to point out I was correct on forecasting injury issues. If you reaped the benefits of his first half, congrats.

Peaking

Marlon Byrd, Outfield, New York Mets: Performance enhancers aside, the fantasy graveyard has brought Byrd back to life. In July, Byrd has five home runs and 16 runs batted in, and now has 17/56 to go along with a .275 average. Byrd could be key for your outfield depth going forward.

Ervin Santana, Starting Pitcher, Kansas City Royals: After a pathetic 2012, Ervin Santana is making his case to be a trade deadline acquisition for a contender. Santana’s 3.18 ERA, WHIP around 1.00, and 104 strikeouts are great in roto leagues right now, and could be beneficial in head-to-head if he can get some run support or move by July 31.

Tyler Chatwood, Starting Pitcher, Colorado Rockies: Chatwood could be the most underrated surprise story of 2013. The 6-3 record, a 2.48 ERA, and a penchant to induce groundball outs make for a nice addition to your rotation. The groundball rate Chatwood is posting could very well go south in a hurry, but with 70+ innings under his belt, it is safe to say he will sustain success for the foreseeable future.

In the Valley

Rajai Davis, Outfield, Toronto Blue Jays: Great production from a fringe player, but that will change. Davis will lose at-bats to a returning Melky Cabrera, making him nearly obsolete with Toronto getting healthy.

Ichiro, Outfield, New York Yankees: Why is he owned in nearly 90% of leagues in most formats? His 13 steals is not hard to replace, he does not score runs at a superior rate for a speedier player, and his days of hitting .300 are long gone. There is no justification for rostering him over someone like the aforementioned Marlon Byrd.

Adam LaRoche, First Base, Washington Nationals: LaRoche is in another expected power drought. Own accordingly (80% owned is too high).

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