A stomach bug upended what should have been a celebration for Eric Hosmer. In and out of the lineup the first week of the season, he produced when his constitution let him, going 5 for 10 with a home run and two doubles in three games before ultimately succumbing to the IL.
More important than the numbers, though, was the swing behind them. Hosmer didn't hit a single ground ball in those three games — not only a major accomplishment for a player who had the second-highest ground-ball rate among qualifiers last year but also a stated goal for him coming into the season. Now in his 10th year, he finally recognized that his ground-ball tendencies were preventing him from getting the most out of his hard contact rate, and the upshot of that realization could be a breakout season.
Hosmer went 1 for 4 in his return Monday and, yes, finally put the ball on the ground. Still, if he's available in your league, you take the shot and see what comes next.
Meanwhile, fill-in Jake Cronenworth may have carved out a role for himself in Hosmer's absence, sliding over to second base in Hosmer's return. Jurickson Profar has mustered nothing there to this point, so the door is open. Cronenworth was regarded mostly for his on-base skills in the minors last year but hit .329 with 10 homers, 12 steals and a .934 OPS in 97 games. The walks weren't there during his time filling in for Hosmer, but he made consistently hard contact and had two homers, two triples and three doubles to show for it.
Particularly as a left-handed hitter, Cronenworth may not get the chance to play every day, but he could be a surprise contributor if he does.
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August 11, 2020 at 07:46PM
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Eric Hosmer returns while Ryan Pressly remains in the saves mix - CBS Sports
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