Brandon Phillips - Fantasy News & Updates
Brandon Phillips - Fantasy News & Updates
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Reports last week said that the Reds were reducing payroll, which triggered speculation that a salary dump was near and that Phillips would be the most marketable player for a trade. Then on Monday, catcher Ramon Hernandez was re-signed for $3 million, a move that made it seem premature to count the Reds as salary dumpers. "All of that stuff was speculation by a number of different writers," Jocketty said. "The final budget won't be done until December and then we'll have a better idea once season tickets sales come in. [The payroll] may have to come down some but it's too early to say."
Few second basemen offer the combination of power, speed and reliability as Phillips, who delivered his third consecutive 20-20 campaign in 2009. At 28, he's at the peak of his career and fully capable of duplicating this effort next year. Expect Phillips to get gobbled up early come draft day, and rightly so.
He fell two RBIs short in his bid to record 100 for the first time, but it's been a scintillating season for the second baseman. He was one of just three second baseman to attain 20/20 status -- Phillips had 20 homers and 25 steals -- in what was his third straight 20/20 campaign. He also improved his batting average from last year by 15 points, to .276, and scored 77 runs. It was a great all-around season for the 28-year-old, and he remains a top-flight option for next year.
Just another night on the job for Phillips, who extended his hitting streak to eight games and raised his average to a season-best .280. The veteran second baseman has submitted his typically solid campaign, totaling 20 homers, 25 thefts and a career high 95 RBIs.
It was the 95th RBI for Phillips, exceeding his previous career high of 94. The second baseman proved to be OK, giving manager Dusty Baker little reason to rest him on Thursday. "Wild horses couldn't keep him out," said Baker. "He's on a mission trying to accomplish his goal." The way Phillips is playing lately, he should reach 100 RBIs before the end of the season. Phillips has hit safely in 13 of his past 14 games, batting .364 (20-for-55) in that span.
Phillips didn't move any closer to the 100-RBI plateau on Wednesday but he did bang out a trio of hits for the second time in his current seven-game hitting streak. The dynamic second baseman is winding down what has been another top-flight season at the plate, hitting .279 with 20 homers, 89 ribbies and 24 swipes.
Phillips usually tails off down the stretch, but he's working hard to erase that reputation this time around, ringing up a .346 average with two jacks, three doubles, two steals and seven RBIs during September. The solo blast marked the third consecutive 20-20 campaign by Phillips, a feat which further establishes him as a Top 5 fantasy second baseman.
Concerns about Phillips' wrist can be put to bed for now. The stud second baseman is having a stellar September, ringing up a .361 average with four extra-base hits and two steals.
Phillips continues to swing a hot bat, as Wednesday’s multi-hit effort marked his seventh in the last 11 games. He’s gone 19-for-47 (.404 AVG) with nine RBIs and three swipes during the sustained surge. On the year, the dynamic second baseman is batting .274 with 84 RBIs and 22 steals.
"My wrist is not broken," said Phillips. "I know I didn't say 'broken.' I said 'fracture.' I didn't know 'fracture' and 'broken' meant the same thing. My wrist feels like it's fractured." The condition of Phillips' wrist remains a mystery, but expect things to clear up in the next few days. He was originally diagnosed with a deep bone bruise on Aug. 15 after he was hit by a J.D. Martin pitch on his wrist.
The injury occurred on Aug. 15, when Phillips was hit on the wrist. It was first diagnosed as a deep bone bruise, but things became progressively worse, ultimately leading to the revealing of a tiny hairline fracture in an X-ray. Phillips missed just one game after initially suffering the injury. "I think I came back too early," Phillips said. "It's been affecting me a lot." Phillips went on to note that he had been told he couldn't further damage his wrist, which has prompted him to try to play out the string. He seems fine at the plate, hitting .389 (7-for-18) with two doubles and two RBIs in his last five games, so owners may as well stick with him.
It was a disappointing month for Phillips, who hit just .260 with a .385 slugging percentage amid several Reds injuries. He remains among the game's elite contributors up the middle, but an inexperienced supporting cast will make September another challenging month.
Phillips has started to get it going at the plate in his last six games, swinging at a .345 clip to go with four RBIs. This hot streak comes on the heels of a .200 batting average through his first 18 affairs in August. Perhaps this bit of hitting will help him nail the three homers he needs to attain his third straight 20/20 campaign.
Phillips has labored through a largely punchless month. His two-hit performance Sunday -- just his second contest with more than a single knock this month -- is certainly a welcome sight for the scuffling keystone. Despite his downswing, Phillips still has 17 homers and 75 RBIs on the year.
The injury stems from Aug. 15, when Phillips was plunked on his wrist and missed the next day of action. X-rays were negative, so it's probably just a matter of days before he returns.
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