Johnny Damon - Fantasy News & Updates
Johnny Damon - Fantasy News & Updates
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The Yankees may balk at such aggression; no matter how many times Damon says he wants to return to New York. If demands become too steep, don't be surprised if the team lets Damon walk and re-signs Hideki Matsui instead. Early indications suggest one of the two veterans will be retained, but not both.
Damon's average dropped from the previous season, and his stolen bases were way down, but he still proved to be a potent catalyst. Eligible for free agency, the 36-year-old will be a worthwhile fantasy option no matter where he winds up, though he certainly would benefit from a return to a power-packed lineup and the short right-field porch of Yankee Stadium.
In an interview on FOX recorded between the third and fourth innings, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Damon initially felt pain in his calf on a foul ball Matsui hit down the right-field line on the previous pitch. "The first ball that Matsui hit down the line, he felt his calf a little bit, and then when he scored, it got worse," Girardi said. Damon, who was replaced by Jerry Hairston Jr., finished 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored in the game. All in all this Fall Classic, Damon went 8-for-24 (.364) with two walks and two homers. Stay tuned.
A .107 (3-for-28) slump over eight games leading into Sunday was one of Damon's rare hitting droughts in '09. With the aid of homer-friendly Yankee Stadium, Damon tied a career-high with 24 homers, drove in 82 runners, hit .282, scored 107 runs and swiped 12 bases. Just another great all-around year for one of fantasy's most reliable outfielders.
That's back-to-back three-hit games for Damon. He has broken out of a cold snap that saw him produce a .154 batting average in 11 affairs from Sept. 3-16. The two runs is more evidence that he thrives in the second slot, where he can reach base and set up the the middle of the Yanks' lineup.
A stiff back has cost Damon some time in September and the residual effects have taken their toll on the field, as the banged up 35-year-old entered Friday's contest with the Mariners in a 3-for-20 skid with only a pair of runs to show for his efforts over that time. The fact that Damon came roaring back for three hits after getting what amounted to two days off -- he pinch-hit on Sept. 16 and the Yanks had an off-day on Thursday – shouldn't come as any surprise to owners of the creaky outfielder.
Melky was out there in center field again on Saturday, and that was even with Johnny Damon rejoining the team after missing two days with back stiffness. Cabrera has clung to the starting gig in center at the expense of the returning Brett Gardner, who has mostly come off the bench, as he did Sunday when he went 1-for-1 with two runs scored and an RBI, since he's returned from the disabled list. On the year Cabrera is hitting .279 with 63 RBIs and 62 runs scored.
Damon had missed his last two games with a stiff lower back, and while he was likely available to pinch-hit during those games, Yankees manager Joe Girardi decided to exercise caution rather than risk an injury this close to the playoffs. Expect Damon to get some time off on occasion for the remainder for the season.
Though Damon did not specifically say that he was unavailable to pinch-hit, he was pessimistic about his chances of entering Friday's game at any point. "It's definitely very locked up," he said. "I felt it more this morning just trying to bend over and trying to grab things. It was really tough." Damon felt no pain during the Yankees' off-day on Thursday, meaning that the injury may just be a product of playing baseball at the age of 35.
With free agency looming and his speed declining, the 35-year-old Damon is doing everything in his power to prove himself worthy of another multi-year pact. And it's working: He carries a .293 average, 31 doubles, 24 homers, 75 RBIs and a career-high .524 slugging percentage into Thursday.
Damon appears determined to overcome nagging injuries with free agency looming. The former speedster is in the midst of one of his finest seasons yet, batting .289 with 94 runs scored, 24 homers, 74 RBIs, 10 steals and a career-high .523 slugging percentage.
Damon, who went yard for the second time in three games, has crossed the plate at least once in six straight contests and eight of the last nine. He’s scored 91 runs on the season to complement a .289 average, and is poised to reach the 100-run plateau for the first time since 2006. The elder statesman is also one long ball away from establishing a new career high.
Damon has been tearing through opposing pitching in his last seven games to the tune of a .440 batting average with seven runs scored. He should continue the surge this weekend considering he's nailed 16 of his long balls at Yankee Stadium.
Damon left Friday's game after he fouled a ball off his right knee in the top of the first inning. After missing Saturday's game, Damon was able to use the benefit of an afternoon to recuperate before playing in the Sunday night game against one of his former squads. He's always a good play in Boston, as he holds a .304 lifetime batting average at Fenway.
Damon was not sent for further tests and is considered day-to-day, but said that he would not attempt to run on Saturday. He'll spend most of the day icing the knee and receiving treatment, and he -- and fantasy owners -- will hope for the best on Sunday. If Damon is unable to go -- and considering the discomfort he was in on Saturday, that wouldn't be a surprise -- Hinske will likely start in left again.
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