James Loney - Fantasy News & Updates
James Loney - Fantasy News & Updates
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One certainly couldn't fault Loney for consistency: His home run and RBI totals are identical to 2008. Though lacking superstar potential, he's proven to be a solid all-around first baseman and figures to improve as he enters his peak years.
Loney is filling up the stat sheets over his last eight contests, boasting a .462 batting average with five RBIs and nine runs during that time frame. He has a penchant for turning it on in September, so the first baseman still represents a viable starting option in all but the most shallow formats.
Loney slammed three homers during a five-game run from Sept. 7-12, and he came back for another one on Saturday. The first baseman, who has a history of batting well in September, has a .350 batting average with 12 RBIs and 11 runs in the month.
Loney is on his way to closing the regular season with a flourish, batting .390 with three jacks and 10 RBIs in 11 September games. Overall, the smooth-swinging first baseban is batting .283 with 12 blasts and 83 RBIs, numbers that are remarkably similar to the ones he delivered in '08 (.289-13-90).
Loney has now hit in six straight, and has two homers and eight RBIs to go with his .400 (10-for-25) average during that streak. Only Loney's lack of elite power -- he has 11 homers and a .400 slugging percentage in 512 at-bats -- prevents the sweet-swinging 25-year-old from entering the top tier of fantasy first basemen.
Loney isn't apt to going through major power surges, which makes his three long balls in his last 13 games a notable trend. Remarkably, he's hit all 10 of his taters on the road. Dodger Stadium has ranked near the bottom of the Majors in home run rate the last couple of years, so it makes sense that a contact hitter like Loney struggles to go yard in his home ballpark.
This move wasn't altogether surprising after reports surfacing earlier in the day about several veteran White Sox players being available on the market. With 23 homers and 74 RBIs, Thome has shown he still packs plenty of punch, but he's appeared exclusively as a DH over the past couple of seasons. With a reduced role on the horizon, his fantasy value takes a huge hit.
This was just one of many productive outings Loney has enjoyed at Coors Field over the years. The first baseman holds a .359 batting average with 37 RBIs in 27 career games at the hitter-friendly venue, so there's no question he should be active in all formats for Thursday's series finale.
Saturday's day off was just a standard break because of a day game after a night game, but Sunday's reason was different. Dodgers manager Joe Torre told reporters before Sunday's game that Loney went home early Saturday because he suffered from flu-like symptoms. "He's a little washed out today," Torre said. "He could play. If we needed him, we will use him."
Loney has hit in two straight now, which suggests that he's moving past the 3-for-32 (.094) funk in which he was mired for most of August. His average dipped from .293 to .279 during that skid, but Loney is a fine hitter and is showing signs of getting back to doing what he does best -- providing fantasy owners with solid run production and a strong batting average, along with the (very) occasional homer or stolen base.
August couldn't come fast enough for Loney, who's gotten off on the right foot this month by going 7-for-14 (.500 AVG) with two doubles and five RBIs. Remember, the sweet-swinging first baseman enjoyed a sizzling August last year, when he batted .330. For the season, Loney is hitting .293 with seven jacks and 68 RBIs.
Chalk up two more RBIs to give Loney 66, second on the team to Andre Ethier's 67. He's hitting .319 with runners in scoring position, so his ability to hit under pressure should serve him well in his quest to post 90 RBIs for the second straight season.
Loney was back on track Saturday after going hitless in nine at-bats over his previous two contests. After being rumored to be apart of several potential trade deadline deals, it looks as though the first baseman can settle in comfortably as he remains a Dodger. His 64 RBIs leave him with a good chance to eclipse the career-high 90 ribbies he racked up last year.
Loney’s been in a zone recently, hitting safely in eight of the last nine games, going 16-for-35 (.457 AVG) with nine RBIs to boost his average up to .293, the highest it’s been since early June. The 25-year-old first baseman has been a steady run producer all year, knocking in 63 runs to complement a solid .363 on-base percentage.
The sources told MLB.com that those players have not been formally discussed and that no deal is imminent. The Dodgers have scouted Lee, who is 7-9 with a 3.14 ERA, but sources say the club has not had negotiations with the Indians about trading for both Lee and Martinez. The Dodgers are interested in trading for an experienced starter such as Lee or the Blue Jays' Roy Halladay but have been reluctant to part with either Kershaw or Billingsley.
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