Jung, Done, and Broke

It was a heck of a day at the plate for Josh Jung, who gave the Texas Rangers an early lead in the first inning with a three-run shot off a Ryan Pepiot changeup. The fun didn’t stop there, as Jung earned a combo meal with his first steal of the season and contributed two more hits as well as another run and RBI.

Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends for Jung, as he was forced to exit the game in the ninth inning after a ball hit his wrist on a check swing. Manager Bruce Bochy confirmed that Jung has a fractured wrist and will be forced to miss several weeks as he recovers. Ughhhhhh.

I want to make this clear – much like Bochy points out in the linked article above, this doesn’t make Jung an “injury-prone” player, even though he also missed a significant amount of time in 2023 with a left thumb fracture. Jung has had a run of bad luck these past couple of seasons but has demonstrated his value as a hitter and fantasy asset in his young big-league career. In 2023, Jung slashed .266/.315 while hitting 23 homers and was off to a red-hot start in 2024 before the injury. If you can afford to stash Jung, do it, and if he finds his way to your league’s waiver wire, try to make space for him on your IL. Middle-of-the-lineup hitters for one of the league’s best offenses don’t just grow on trees.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday

 

Kyle Tucker (HOU): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.

The biggest story of the day for the Astros was by far Ronel Blanco’s no-hitter, but the Astros’ offense did their part to make the job as stress-free as possible for their starter. Tucker easily had his most productive day from a fantasy standpoint in 2024, socking his first two home runs of the season in the fourth and seventh innings to drive in four runs. Tucker remains one of a handful of players capable of a 30/30 season at any point and has the potential to deliver his best fantasy season yet hitting in the top half of this loaded offense.

 

Mike Trout (LAA): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.

Breaking news: Mike Trout is still Mike Trout. The Angels’ star delivered a vintage performance in Miami on Monday night, hitting a 412-foot shot in the fourth inning that was dwarfed by a 473-foot titanic blast just a couple of innings later. The opportunities for counting stats aren’t as prominent for Trout as studs in other, more dangerous offenses, and there’s always the health issues lingering in the background, but as long as he’s in the lineup, Trout has the potential to win you the week by himself.

 

Austin Riley (ATL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.

During a rainy afternoon on the South Side of Chicago that saw multiple delays late in this game, Austin Riley made it rain himself with his first home run of the season. Riley wasn’t a benefactor of the Braves’ prolific offensive series in Philadelphia to start the year, but you don’t need me to remind you how good Riley is and how much he’ll benefit from hitting third in this order. Even better days are coming soon. Patience.

 

Spencer Steer (CIN): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.

In what was a tightly contested contest for most of the evening, Spencer Steer broke things wide open against the Phillies in the top of the 10th inning. With nobody out and the bases juiced, Steer took a Connor Brogdon fastball to left field for a grand slam to seal the road victory for the Reds. Steer carries Swiss Army Knife positional eligibility in many leagues, allowing him to round out your corner infield or outfield spots nicely any given week. With 23 homers and 15 steals in 2023, Steer could turn out to be a bargain if he takes another step forward along with the rest of the Reds’ offense in 2024.

 

Brendan Donovan (STL): 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB.

Donovan finished a triple shy of the cycle as the Cardinals’ leadoff man reached base each of the first four times he came to the plate in the series opener in San Diego. It was Donovan’s first multi-hit game of 2024 after a tough series in Los Angeles to open the season. Donovan saw an increase in power during his sophomore season after finishing third in ROY voting in 2022, so there’s a chance for him to continue to take steps forward in his third season in the bigs. If you need a bat in up the middle or in the outfield, Donovan is worth keeping an eye on.

 

Teoscar Hernández (LAD): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Don’t look now, but that’s back-to-back games with a dinger for Teoscar Hernández, tying teammate Mookie Betts for the current major league lead with four home runs. Teoscar still strikes out a ton, which limits his fantasy upside, but when he makes contact, it is loud. The Dodgers are a clear situational upgrade from the Mariners, meaning Hernández should contribute plenty of homers and RBI hitting in the back half of the Dodgers’ order.

 

Jarren Duran (BOS): 3-5, 2 R, RBI, 3 SB.

Yes, I know, it’s the Athletics, but Duran still had a fantastic day at the plate late on Monday night, tallying a trio of hits and steals as the BoSox downed the A’s 9-0. Duran led Boston with 24 stolen bags in 2023 and is already up to five bags swiped less than a week into the young season. As long as he’s hitting near the top of the order, Duran has the potential to contribute across several categories this season.

 

Jordan Westburg (BAL): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

After losing the lead in the top of the ninth, Jordan Westburg stepped to the plate with a man on and delivered his first home run of the season in dramatic fashion to give the Orioles a walkoff win. It was a great moment for the young infielder who is one of many developing stars for Baltimore. The impending promotion of Jackson Holliday may limit Westburg’s playing time to an extent, but you could certainly do worse in deep or AL-only leagues as an end-of-roster bat for now.

 

Connor Joe (PIT): 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI.

The question must be posed: are the Pirates… good? They’re 5-0, but all their wins so far are against the Marlins and the Nationals, who aren’t exactly known as perennial powerhouses. Still, the offense is gelling so far, partially thanks to leadoff man Connor Joe slashing .348/.444/.522 to start the season. Joe won’t give you much in the world of home runs or stolen bases, but as long as the Pirates are scoring runs, he’ll have plenty of chances to improve your ratios and other counting stats. He’s worth a look in deeper leagues while the Bucs are hot.

 

Christopher Morel (CHC): 2-3, R.

Morel’s biggest highlight of the day was unfortunately a lowlight of epic proportions for Rockies left fielder Nolan Jones. With the score tied at zero on a cold day at Wrigley, Morel ripped a single to left field that should have loaded the bases, but a comedy of errors allowed Morel to complete a Little League inside-the-park home run. The same kind of magic that used to follow “El Mago” Javier Báez during his days on the North Side seems to follow Morel at times and brings an extra level of (dare I say) Morale to Wrigley Field. If there’s one downside, it’s that Nick Madrigal took Morel’s place as a defensive sub after the Cubs claimed the lead – something to keep an eye on despite Morel’s hot start.