Howard Kendrick - Fantasy News & Updates
Howard Kendrick - Fantasy News & Updates
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After looking lost for much of the first half, Kendrick was sent down to Triple-A Salt Lake to regain focus and confidence. The move paid major dividends, as the new-and-improved Kendrick posted a .358 average and a .558 slugging percentage upon returning to the bigs. That sets the stage for a potential All-Star caliber breakout year, with Maicer Izturis likely returning to the role of utilityman.
A huge day for Kendrick, who has absolutely destroyed the ball this month, going 16-for-33 with six extra-base hits and nine RBIs in 10 games. After a rough start to the season and a demotion to the Minors, the young second baseman has come back with a vengeance, batting .396 with 35 RBIs and 31 runs in 40 tilts since the All-Star break.
Kudos to those who snagged Kendrick while he was working out his problems in the Minors. The rejuvenated second baseman has bounced back with a sparkling .392 average, five homers, 30 RBIs, two steals and a .585 slugging percentage in the second half.
Kendrick is still stuck in a timeshare with Maicer Izturis, but the sweet-swinging keystone has been making the most of his time between the lines with a .474 average (9-for-19) in September. If Kendrick could reclaim second-base duties outright, he could be a top-flight option up the middle.
Izturis just keeps on surpassing expectations, and has played his way into fantasy relevance in deeper mixed leagues and AL-only formats. Izturis' success has come at the expense of Howie Kendrick, who has just seven at-bats in September. That Kendrick has five hits in those at-bats, and is a scorching 20-for-50 (.400) over his last 12 games, makes the Angels' second base time-share doubly vexing for fantasy owners. Kendrick's ceiling is notably higher than that of his platoon-mate, and his .292-8-52 line through 89 games is nearly identical to Izturis' .297-8-57 line over 99, but Izturis seemingly has the upper hand in this positional battle and is a favorite of Manager Mike Scioscia.
Kendrick is on his way toward posting 10 homers and 50 RBIs -- he's just two short -- for the first time. While not remarkable in any way, it seems likely Kendrick can substantially pass both figures in September to end the campaign with roughly 12 homers and 60 RBIs. Not bad for a guy who got sent down to the Minors earlier in the season.
Kendrick continues to excel since the All-Star break, ringing up a whopping .367 average, three homers, 20 RBIs and a .557 slugging percentage. Not too shabby for a second baseman who could be found floundering on the waiver wire several weeks ago.
The switch-hitting infielder has been one of the few Angels scuffling at the dish lately, as he entered Sunday's tilt with the Orioles in the midst of a short 1-for-13 skid. With Howie Kendrick, Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar all in the hunt for playing time in the crowded Angels infield, Izturis needed a day like this to keep keep himself in the mix.
Guerrero was penciled in as the designated hitter for Sunday's game against Baltimore, but Angels skipper Mike Scioscia notified the media of the change during his pregame talk. Guerrero was hit by a pitch in Saturday's 5-1 win, taking an offering from Orioles pitcher Cla Meredith in his leg, but was able to finish the game without any signs of injury. When asked whether Guerrero should be considered day-to-day, Scioscia shook his head, saying he plans to have Vlad back in the lineup for Monday's series finale. Scioscia also said Guerrero would be available to pinch-hit in Sunday's game, if necessary. With the big guy out Sunday, Howard Kendrick moved to the designated hitter spot, hitting ninth.
Kendrick sizzled to a .387/.433/.548 line from his July 4 recall through the end of the month, but he’s slowed to a .250 average in six August games. That kind of streakiness, plus a lack of guaranteed playing time, should lead mixed league owners to seek better options at second base.
Manager Mike Scioscia's motivation for keeping Figgins out of the order is to give the durable third baseman a breather. "He's played a lot," Scioscia said. "He's a gamer. It's a good time to get him to re-charge a little." Figgins, who's missed just one other game this season, was replaced at third base by Maicer Izturis. Howard Kendrick, in a time share with Izutris at second base, got the start there Sunday.
Kendrick checked in with his seventh multi-hit effort in the last 10 games, a smoking stretch during which he’s cracked five extra-base hits and plated 11 runs to raise his average nearly 35 points to .273. Since his return from a three-week stint in the Minors, the 26-year-old second baseman is batting .394 and has played his way back onto rosters in all formats.
Kendrick is hitting .377/.424/.541 with a pair of home runs and 14 RBIs in 17 games since returning from the Minors July 4. Despite his early-season struggles, Kendrick had a solid '08 season and possesses a tremendous Minor League pedigree, so don't be surprised to see him deliver strong production the rest of the way.
Owners have been waiting patiently for Kendrick to regain the form that saw him hit to the over-.300 tune that he did in his last two seasons in the bigs. That wait appears to be over. Since returning to the Majors after a three-week stint in Triple-A, the 26-year-old raker is ripping .383 with a .532 slugging percentage with 10 runs scored and 8 RBIs. He's still a long way from reaching .300, but given his prolific track record with the bat, it'd be foolish to bet against him reaching that mark.
Kendrick has hit safely in nine of 11 games -- scoring eight runs and plating eight -- since being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake, where hit .346 in 20 games. The 26-year-old second baseman entered 2009 with high expectations before struggling mightily. Now that he's had some time to gather himself in the Minors, owners can expect him to resume raking at the .300 clip he was accustomed to before slumping this season.
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