As we move to the outfield portion of our “Where are they now?” series, we find a position where most of the disappointments have done so for the most basic of reasons: they’ve been hurt. In many ways, this makes the analysis a lot easier. All you have to do is find out when they are coming back and then plan accordingly. As you might have guessed, that is too simplistic for most fantasy leagues.

As we discussed with the shortstops, a number of fantasy regular seasons end at the end of August. Fantasy players want someone who is going to give them six weeks of solid production before we go to the playoffs. If an injured player is due to miss another month, then it becomes a difficult decision to determine whether those few weeks missed makes it imperative to go in another direction. Life can be hard sometimes.

For those that are just joining us, we are taking the top 15 preseason left fielders and looking at the ones that have been the most disappointing. Those that will be out for the season will be eliminated from the discussion. We profile the rest to see which ones might be most likely to bounce back to career norms. In doing so, we look at their numbers on a per month basis to see if we can discover any trends.

Carlos Gonzalez— Colorado Rockies (Yahoo #5)

What happened?

This depends on who you ask. If you ask me I say nothing because CarGo really hasn’t disappointed me. I didn’t expect much to begin with. Those that continue to buy into his “potential” may feel a little let down. Yet, since June 1st, he’s hit around .300 with nine of his 13 home runs. I guess the eye is in the beholder the whole way around. On the bright side, he’s on pace to surpass 600 plate appearances for the first time since he last delivered on his promise.

What to expect?

Should he stay healthy, he could deliver 25+ home runs and upwards of 80 RBI on the season. Of course, that’s a big if. It’s also possible that he could end up being dealt to contender. If that happens we could see a drop in offensive production outside the mile high air. CarGo is a huge wild card for the remainder of the year.

Corey Dickerson— Colorado Rockies (Yahoo #6)

What happened?

This one is simple. Injuries have derailed Dickerson’s season just as it was getting off to a promising start. It is unsure when he’s going to return, so the key is to take a look at your roster and see how many open DL slots you have to work with. If he even gives you a solid month of production, it could be worth it.

What to expect?

Again, we are talking about one of those injuries that lingers. Plantar fasciitis sounds like a dubious injury, but for anyone that’s had it, they know how painful it can be. It’s an injury that requires simple rest and can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. Keep tabs on him and hope for the best.

Matt Holliday— St. Louis Cardinals (Yahoo #9)

What happened?

Holliday was actually making history earlier this season. He had the longest streak in Cardinals history for getting on base before he injured his quad muscle in early June. He’s been out ever since, but rumor has it that he may be able to join the team again after the All-Star break. Yet, with all the hoopla of getting on base, people haven’t noticed that Holliday has suffered a power outage this season.

What to expect?

With Holliday possibly coming back after the break, he might give the Cardinals and your fantasy team the shot in the arm they need to finish the year strong. The key for Holliday will be whether we ever see the power numbers we are accustomed to. Take away the lack of power numbers and you are looking at a fairly normal season for Holliday.

Christian Yelich— Miami Marlins (Yahoo #11)

What happened?

We can call Miami team dysfunction. After all, how many organizations do you know that have put their general manager in the dugout? More importantly, Yelich’s performance demonstrates the importance of patience and they simply don’t have it. His last two months have been just fine and more or less in line with his career performance. Thankfully, he has been allowed the opportunity to turn it around. His teammate (Marcell Ozuna) wasn’t given that same opportunity.

What to expect?

The month by month numbers demonstrate perfectly that simply looking at overall numbers don’t tell you the whole story. When the season is over, Yelich will likely have between 10 to 15 home runs along with a batting average closer to .300. He may not have the runs or RBI, but that is more a factor of a bad offense than anything he’s done personally. In six category leagues, he gives you that added on base element. He’s a keeper.