Garret Anderson - Fantasy News & Updates
Garret Anderson - Fantasy News & Updates
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Anderson's numbers dropped another notch last season, relegating him to the waiver wire in mixed formats. At 37, the clock is ticking on his days as a regular player, though he could experience a bit of a revival if he returns to the AL to become a DH.
In spite of this latest cold spell, Anderson still sports a respectable .271 average on the year to go along with 13 homers and 60 RBIs, numbers that certainly make him worthy of a roster spot in deeper leagues.
Diaz sports a scorching-hot .421 average with a .511 on-base percentage in nine games leading off. Even with McLouth deemed fit to play, the Braves will have a tough time benching Diaz while's hitting this well. It's possible he'll continue to start at the expense of Garrett Anderson.
Anderson has a five-game hitting streak, although he attained his first extra-base hit of the streak with the homer on Saturday. He's slugging just .443, which like last year makes him a good option for batting average-needy teams but not for sqauds which are craving power.
Anderson, who entered the night with a .284 average, 11 homers and 47 RBIs, slotted in as the No. 5 hitter, behind Brian McCann.
Church was a late scratch from Satuday's contest with the Marlins and didn't play on Sunday. Anderson hasn't suited up since Aug. 21 but was available to pinch-hit Sunday. Reid Gorecki and Omar Infante should head back to the bench when the two veterans are ready to take the field again alongside the scorching Matt Diaz.
Anderson will begin swinging a bat again on Sunday and might also be available for Tuesday night's series opener against the Padres. Infante, who had been filling in productively for the headache-afflicted Martin Prado at second base, will likely continue to spell Anderson until the veteran is ready to go. Kelly Johnson will step in at second for the time being.
The Braves originally diagnosed his injury as a lower back strain. But Anderson later clarified that most of the discomfort was in his hip -- an issue for him once before during his career with the Angels."He says he's going to be OK," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Hopefully, he's fine." Anderson is batting .284 with 11 home runs in 99 games this season. Rookie Reid Gorecki, who recorded his first big league hit in Wednesday's game, replaced Anderson in left.
Even though the 37-year-old outfielder is no longer the All-Star caliber player of years past, keep in mind how productive he's been during the second half, sporting a .313 average with a .490 slugging percentage. With everyday at-bats and a cozy spot in the bottom half of a productive Braves lineup, Anderson makes for a quality alternative to the big boppers of the outfield world.
Anderson has continued his career-long trend of second-half success with a hot post-break start in '09. Since returning to action, the veteran of 16 seasons has put up five multi-hot contests, crossed home seven times and has raised his average 12 points to .292 on the year. Mixed-leaguers looking for a steadying presence in the outfield could do well to take a shot on the veteran batsman.
After getting off on the wrong foot in his first year with the Braves (.200/.231/.320 line in April), the longtime Angel has finally found his footing and has worked his average up to .293 with seven homers. Anderson left the yard seven times during the second half of last season, showing that he has the stamina to produce for shallow NL-only leagues well into September.
Although his first-half numbers look unimpressive at first glance, Anderson rebounded strongly from a sluggish April and a DL stint to produce all 32 of his RBIs from May until the All-Star break. Anderson also has a history of getting hot after the All-Star break, making him a sound investment in the months to come.
Anderson has found a way to rack up just enough at-bats to make himself a useful option in NL-only leagues. The 16-year veteran is hitting .277 with five jacks and 32 RBIs in his first year with the Braves.
This was Anderson's first start since June 30, but he's got a pretty good hold on the left field gig in Atlanta despite that layoff. He doesn't hit for enough pop anymore to warrant much consideration in mixed leagues, but Anderson's steady at-bats and .290-5-30 line is good enough to make him useful to owners in NL-only leagues, and he's 11-for-35 (.314) over his last 10 games.
The Braves have had a tough time playing Diaz with Garret Anderson finally hitting his stride in left field. Anderson got the day off Wednesday, giving Diaz first start in a few weeks. He took advantage of the opportunity by upping his average to .286 and lifting his RBI total to 19.
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