Well kids the long awaited return of Carlos Beltran is about to take center stage tonight; Thursday July 15th, and for many fantasy owners the question is simply this: Do I activate him, or take a wait and see approach?
Beltran has had an up and down rehab, especially over the last couple of outings, going a combined 4 for 13 with two singles, a double, two walks, and three total runs scored; all in his last four starts against Single-A St. Lucie.
So what should you do with Beltran?
For now, the ideal situation would be to sit him (if you own him that is) until he shows that he is at full strength. Beltran will face a very stingy Tim Lincecum tonight (9-4 with a 3.16 ERA and a K/9 rate of 10.1), and he will be doing it in the cleanup spot.
As if that’s not enough, he will then move on to face Barry Zito who has a 7-4 record with a 3.76 ERA and a 6.3 K/9 rate, Matt Cain who is 6-8 with a 3.34 ERA with a 6.5 K/9 rate, and he’ll finish with Jonathan Sanchez who is sporting a 7-6 record with a 3.47 ERA alongside a 9.0 K/9 rate.
Did I mention that the series takes place in San Francisco which is known as a pitcher friendly park?
The moral of the story is that the Giants can throw a ton of heat, which is not an ideal situation for those of you hoping to rest upon Carlos Beltran’s laurels right out of the gate, from a fantasy perspective of course. Beltran will need time to “see the game”, and get back into the flow of the pro level.
The good news is, by the time the Giants series is over, he’ll be somewhat integrated back into his natural surroundings, but he and the Mets will gear up to face the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Diamondbacks again before August hits.
This is a tough stretch of road for Beltran and the Mets, and while Beltran is always a threat, the rest of the month may be good for spotty starts only, until the trust level is re-established.
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