As we get to our third stop in the “Where are they now?” series, we find another position where there have some significant disappointments. In fact, first base is unique amongst the positions because there were only mild disappointments. When we look at the rest of the infield we find some really thin positions and a lot of that is due to players not living up to the advanced billing on draft day.

As we look at the disappointments we should remind everyone of the rules. We are looking at the top fifteen players at each position according to Yahoo’s preseason rankings. Obviously, some players will be eligible at multiple positions. If they have been highlighted before they won’t be highlighted again (for instance, Carlos Santana was mentioned as a catcher and not as a first baseman). We will look at their April, May, and June statistics to determine if there are positive or negative trends.

The goal is determine which of these players will rebound in the second half and which players we should avoid. You will undoubtedly notice that the July numbers will be behind. There is no helping the lag time between the article’s completion and its publication. However, a couple of days worth of numbers really won’t make that much of a difference.

Robinson Cano— Seattle Mariners (Yahoo #1)

What happened?

This one has been bizarre to be sure. Cano is 100 percent healthy as far as we know, but he just isn’t performing. We are far beyond the point where we simply can call this a slump. The batting average isn’t really the issue. The issue is that we are past the halfway point and he has only five home runs. He got off to a slow start a couple of years ago, but he was able to rebound to approach career norms. That may be beginning now as he is six games into the month (as of this writing), and if you extrapolate those numbers he could be on the way back.

What to expect?

Yahoo really hamstrings you with their locks on top players. You can’t cut Cano and his trade value is so low right now that it really wouldn’t make sense to deal him now. I played in a league a couple of years ago where he fetched only a middle reliever. That trade is still talked about this day as the dumbest in league history. Suffice it to say, your best bet is to keep plugging him in there and hope a comeback is in order.

Ian Kinsler— Detroit Tigers (Yahoo #3)

What happened?

Again, we have a player that is presumably completely healthy and for some reason has suffered a complete power outage. Otherwise, Kinsler is still a pretty good player. He’ll likely get to 50 runs scored by the all-star break, he might get to 40 RBI, and if he continues to hit he will get his average up to about .270. Heck, his OPS just might also be north of .700, so we aren’t completely falling off the planet. Still, we are talking about a guy that has reached 30/30 twice and hit 17 home runs just a year ago.

What to expect?

In five category leagues, Kinsler will still likely wind up as a top ten second baseman because of the runs and RBI. In six category leagues he’ll add plenty of walks, too. I’d keep plugging him in there and you might get lucky and see him produce the power numbers we are used to seeing in the second half.

Anthony Rendon— Washington Nationals (Yahoo #5)

What happened?

This one is easy enough. Rendon missed the first two months with an injury and seemed like he was on his way to playing a productive four months until he strained his quad. Who knows whether he will ever get back to the player he was supposed to be. Rendon seemed born to hit and he was hitting okay during the three weeks he played. He still didn’t have any home runs or stolen bases in that time.

What to expect?

I’m a frustrated Rendon owner myself. It seemed like he was playing himself into shape when he had the second injury. The key to your decision making will be the nature of your roster. How many DL slots do you have and how many of them are used up by other players? If you have the space you might as well stash him, but if you are out of space you have to look long and hard on the cutting the cord.

Daniel Murphy— New York Mets (Yahoo #13)

What happened?

Murphy had a rough April and missed most of June on the shelf. Otherwise, it’s been a fairly normal season for Murphy. He’s even eligible at third and short in most leagues, so he will be fairly valuable. All in all, 240 plate appearances isn’t terrible at the halfway point. He’ll be up to 270 at the all-star break, so he still qualifies for the batting title. His .751 OPS (as of Monday) is pretty close to career norms, so most of the dip in ranking is due to the three weeks he missed on the disabled list.

What to expect?

I’d be okay with having Murphy on the bench, but he probably isn’t a starting quality second baseman or third baseman at this point in his career. He offers very little power or speed and it’s hard to be a starting quality player without either of those. Still, he’s a nice guy to have on the bench.

Ben Zobrist— Oakland Athletics (Yahoo #14)

What happened?

Essentially, Zobrist missed five weeks of action when he had never missed that kind of time before. Otherwise, Zobrist has been about the same player he has always been. He isn’t a stolen base threat anymore, but when you look at his June numbers you see the kind of player he is when healthy. The beauty is that he does it underneath the radar. You look up all the sudden and there he is. He also walked 18 times in June. That’s how someone with a pedestrian .269 average can score so many runs.

What to expect?

Zobrist’s value in real life and his value in fantasy circles are mirror images. He can play upwards of six different positions competently and he can fill those voids on your fantasy roster as well. By the time July is up, he will likely put up similar numbers as he has in June. Add those two months together and you see the kind of value he can give your fantasy team.