Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Iwamura to Return Monday
Posted by Derek Carty at 3:09pmAkinori Iwamura has been playing in rehab games recently, and could potentially come off the Disabled List on Monday. When he does, he will most likely resume his role as the Devil Rays’ everyday third basemen.
“He’s doing very well,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He hasn’t felt any pulling sensation in his side.”
Iwamura was a guy I liked a lot in the beginning of the season (and even picked up in one league, although he surprisingly went on the DL the next day). He had an 82% Contact rate, 21.1% BB rate, and a 29.5% LD rate. While the BB rate and LD% should drop, as long as they don’t go too far Iwamura could hit over .300. He also had 3 SBs and could get 20 or 25 if he doesn’t get injured again. He only had 1 HR, but it had a True Distance of 414 feet, according to HitTracker. He could end up with 15 HRs. The D’Rays’ lineup is good, so Iwamura should also get plenty of RBIs and Runs.
If you need a 3B, Iwamura seems like he can help you in every category. Now’s the time to pick him up.
This post originally appeared at http://saberoticians.blogspot.com/2007/05/iwamura-to-return-monday.html
Derek Carty, 23, has also been published by NBC's Rotoworld, Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports, and USA Today. This season, he'll be contributing to FanDuel and will be linking to all of his work at DerekCarty.com. In his three years competing in expert leagues, he has won 2 titles with 4 top three finishes, including a LABR NL title in 2009, making him the youngest person to ever win a major expert league title. Derek is a proud graduate of the MLB Scouting Bureau's Scout Development Program and is a firm believer in the importance of combining stats and scouting. He welcomes questions via e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter.