Regan's Rumblings: Possible Playing Time Increases

While wondering where THAT was the last three years from Kobe Bryant, let's talk some baseball…

As I type this, Jeremy Hazelbaker (.526) and Tyler White (.520) lead the NL and AL respectively in batting average, so yes, it's early, but I'm still worried about a few guys. Players like Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton are racking up the strikeouts, Ian Desmond is batting .107 (all singles), and Zack Greinke is 0-2. I'm not worried about Greinke, but the aforementioned hitters are striking out at levels that give me pause. Instead of focusing on those guys, let's look at a handful of players who could eventually benefit from either injuries or teammates off to slow starts:

Lucas Giolito (SP-WAS) – Giolito tossed four scoreless innings in his opening start for Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, allowing one hit, three walks and four strikeouts. The walks aren't a huge concern, as Giolito had a 2.8 BB/9 in the minors last year, so we'll give him a pass. Giolito was lifted after just 59 pitches after recording a career-high 117 innings last season, so perhaps the Nationals are saving some of his bullets for the big leagues later this year. With that in mind, June would probably be the latest we'd see him, but if Tanner Roark's struggles continue, Giolito could be brought up earlier than planned. Edit: Of course a few hours after writing this, Roark goes out and tosses seven shutout innings in a win over Atlanta.

Max Kepler (OF-MIN) – With Danny Santana sidelined with a hamstring injury, Kepler got the call early, but it doesn't seem that the at-bats are there for him right now. Still, with the entire Twins outfield and DH (Byung-ho Park) hitting below .200, Kepler has a chance to work his way into regular playing time if he can make a good impression in limited action. Kepler had a breakout 2015 in Double-A, batting .322/.416/.531 with nine home runs and 18 stolen bases in 112 games. The power is obviously below average for an outfielder, but Kepler is still just 23 and could eventually grow into a 20-homer asset combined an upside of 20-25 stolen bases. Let's see if he gets a chance.

Trayce Thompson (OF-LAD) – Even with Carl Crawford, Scott Van Slyke, and Andre Ethier all on the disabled list, Thompson still isn't a lock to be the team's regular left fielder, but that could soon change. Kike Hernandez could play there, Howie Kendrick has seen time, and even Charlie Culberson has received a few innings in left. None of the aforementioned placeholders, however, possess the upside of Thompson -- who went 2-for-3 on Tuesday against Arizona, leaving him with a .462 BA in 13 at-bats after hitting .295/.363/.533 in 135 plate appearances last year. He's a bit of a late bloomer at age 25, but after consistently recording K%'s in the 25-29-percent range coming up through the White Sox system, Thompson cut that to 18.9 in Triple-A last year and 19.3 in the big leagues. That's a monumental leap, so at some point, look for manager Dave Roberts to name Thompson as the everyday left fielder in La-La Land.

Julio Urias (SP-LAD) – The Dodger bullpen is far more of a train wreck than the starting rotation, but there should be an opening at some point for the likes of Urias or Jose De Leon. Perhaps Ross Stripling takes a turn for the worse, Alex Wood gets moved to the bullpen or someone gets hurt, but once Urias is deemed stretched out enough, he'll get a spot. Of course, given his career high in innings is less than 90 and he's only 19, Urias might need until 2017 to take on a full-time spot in the rotation, but he should at least get a look this year. He has the upside of a future No. 1 starter and Cy Young contender, but the Dodgers are handling him with kid gloves, so don't expect more than a handful of starts this year.

Archie Bradley (SP-ARI) – I almost went to Bradley's start Tuesday in Reno versus Albuquerque, but even if I'd been able to make it, I wouldn't have seen much. Why? He lasted just two outs, allowing three runs on three hits after tossing six shutout innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts in his first start. There's no doubt he's talented, as Bradley was off to a great start last April before getting hit in the face by a line drive. He wasn't the same after that, though, and was ultimately shut down due to a sore shoulder. Bradley's still just 23 and seemingly healthy, so if he can put things together in 2016, he'll get a chance with the big club this year. The Diamondbacks are running Robbie Ray and Rubby De La Rosa out in the four and five slots, so Bradley could eventually represent an upgrade depending on how things go.

Brandon Drury (OF/2B-ARI) - With the infield gridlocked in Arizona, Drury is currently being considered as an outfielder. With A.J. Pollock out indefinitely, there's certainly an opportunity alongside David Peralta. Yasmany Tomas looks like a bust, Chris Owings may or may not transition well to the outfield, and Socrates Brito is known more for having a cool name than his play. Drury is a guy I got see play a few times live last year with Triple-A Reno, where he batted a healthy .331/.384/.458 across 63 games. His .127 ISO indicates the power isn't quite there yet, but Drury has hit as many as 23 home runs in a minor league season, so he's definitely got some potential. In terms of walk rates, he hasn't been great in the minors, but mark of 7.6 percent last year in Reno wasn't bad – especially since he makes excellent contact (15 percent K% typically). Drury could also see some time at third base (he did over the weekend) in addition to the outfield and represents a solid speculative pickup in deeper leagues.

Kelly Johnson (OF-ATL) – Johnson isn't the most exciting fantasy play, but in NL-only and deeper mixed league formats, he's worth a look. Hector Olivera is out indefinitely due to a disturbing assault charge, which could open up a Johnson/Jeff Francoeur platoon in left that would benefit Johnson as the left-handed hitter. Johnson still has something left in the tank at age 34, having hit .265/.314/.435 with 14 homers in 111 games in 2015. It's also a bonus that he qualifies at 1B, 2B, and OF in all leagues, and with 12 games last year at 3B, he qualifies there in several, too. Johnson is 2-for-12 to start the year, but he should play enough to maintain some value.

Jose Peraza (OF/2B-CIN) – With Brandon Phillips refusing to accept a trade and the presence of Billy Hamilton in center field, Peraza opened the season in Triple-A. With Hamilton starting 3-for-17 with just one stolen base coming off a season in which he hit an anemic .226/.274/.289 in 114 games, the speedster could eventually find himself benched or demoted to Triple-A. That could open up a spot for Peraza, who played a bit in center this spring. The only issue is whether he's really that much different than Hamilton, as Peraza has plenty of speed but no power and lacks plate discipline (3.5 percent BB% in Triple-A last year). Still, he should get his shot at some point.

Michael Blazek (RP-MIL) – Jeremy Jeffress has three saves and has yet to allow a run, so his job certainly isn't in jeopardy, but Blazek is one to keep in mind. Jeffress broke out last year, recording a 2.65 ERA to go with an 8.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. However, he's yet to run with the closer's role for an extended period of time and, at least so far, his fastball velocity is down about two full mph in 2016. Should Jeffress ultimately give up the job, Blazek could be a replacement candidate. The latter has yet to allow a run in 3.1 innings, averages 93 mph with his fastball, and posted a solid 2.43 ERA for the Brewers last year. If you're a Jeffress owner in deep mixed and NL-only leagues, Blazek is worth keeping an eye on.

Rafael Montero (SP-NYM) – With the injury to Jacob DeGrom, Steven Matz's awful first start, and Bartolo Colon getting up there at 42, the possibility that Montero will get another look as a starter seems real. Montero was considered in the same breath as guys like DeGrom, but an inability to make that final leap and a shoulder injury have him off most fantasy radars. His first start for Triple-A Las Vegas this year went well, as he allowed just one run on three hits over five innings with a solid 5:2 K:BB. Logan Verrett's solid outing Wednesday against the Marlins (6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) likely means Montero won't get a crack at starting any time soon, but keep his name and prospect history in mind for later in the season.

Tyler Goeddel (OF-PHI) - Goeddel has received just seven at-bats all year, but given the lack of talent on the Phillies roster outside of third base, he should get a chance at some point. Goeddel hit a solid .279/.350/.433 at Double-A last year, including 12 homers and an impressive 28 stolen bases. He was a Rule 5 pick from the Rays, so he'll have to stay up with the big club or be returned to the Tampa, which would seem to give the Phillies incentive to play him. That hasn't really happened yet, since Goeddel seems to be on the wrong side of a left-field platoon with Cedric Hunter. However, Hunter is off to a 2-for-24 start, so perhaps Goeddel is about to get his shot. He's worth a flier in deeper formats.

Blake Snell (SP-TB) – Erasmo Ramirez is currently the Rays' nominal No. 5 starter but hasn't made a start yet due to some scheduling quirks to open the season. That should change this weekend, and who knows, he could be decent enough to stick around for a while. Tampa could also choose to leave him in the bullpen and call up Snell, who is one of baseball's top five pitching prospects. Last season, Snell had a 1.41 ERA over 134 minor-league innings that included a 10.9 K/9. He might be the organization's second most talented pitcher behind Chris Archer, so bank on the 23-year-old getting called up no later than June.