Fantasy Baseball

After two starts for the Seattle Mariners where he allowed only four hits in 17 innings while striking out 18, Felix Hernandez left his third start with what was described as a sore elbow.

With Mariner fans fearing the worst, Hernandez has been diagnosed with a muscle strain inside his right elbow and forearm. King Felix is expected to miss only two to three starts.

Although it’s certainly great news that he doesn’t need to go under the knife, any arm trouble for a young pitcher early in a season usually is an ominous sign. Hernandez, who is only 21-years-old, is perhaps the greatest pitching prospect in the league, but fantasy owners need to take a long, hard look at this situation.

Last season, Francisco Liriano was a young pitching prodigy who battled some arm trouble throughout the year. Despite putting up dominating numbers while healthy, the nagging injuries eventually caught up to him and he ended up blowing his arm out. He missed the end of last season and is expected to miss the entire 2007 campaign as well.

Fantasy owners who own Hernandez shouldn’t panic at this stage of the season, as it’s possible that he could shake off this strain and continue on his way to a dominating season. However, it’d be smart to ask around and see what kind of offers you can get for him. If there is someone willing to depart with a top tier pitcher and a bat for the young phenom, it’d be smart to consider the offer.

Of course in keeper and dynasty leagues, Hernandez has much more value. In redrafts, Hernandez doesn’t have near as much value, especially considering this injury.