Polanco to be monitored in spring: Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said at Monday's Philadelphia Sports Writers' Association banquet that 3B Placido Polanco, who is recovering from sports hernia surgery, is expected to be 100 percent or close to it in spring training. "We have to keep an eye on his health and monitor him and make sure we're cautious in how we handle him," Amaro said. "We have to make sure he stays fresh for the season and don't put any unwanted strain on him." (Updated 01/31/2012)
Injury Report
Sports hernia - Probable for start of spring training (Updated - 1/6/12)
Fantasy Analysis
The Phillies brought in Ty Wigginton this offseason to help spell Polanco at times, which could help keep him off the DL. Polanco played through hernia and back issues last season, but it took its toll on the veteran infielder. Polanco got off to a great start by hitting .321 through the first two months, but he hit just .241 over his last 68 games. We know what a healthy Polanco brings to the table, but injuries have limited him to less than 140 games the last two seasons and he still lacks power for a corner infielder. Consider Polanco more of a late-round Fantasy option on Draft Day. (Updated 01/31/2012).
01/25/2012 09:58 2012 Fantasy outlooks: Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies sure have plenty of big names in their lineup and rotation, but do they provide enough bang for the buck in Fantasy? Our Scott White breaks down the perennial NL East contenders.
If you stopped playing Fantasy Baseball last April, you probably still consider Placido Polanco something of a secret weapon at third base. Hey, he went from forgotten man to must-start option in the season's opening month, hitting .398. Of course, if you stopped playing Fantasy Baseball last April, you also missed the .243 batting average the rest of the way, the bulging disc, the back injections, the sore hip, the sports hernia and everything else that would have reminded you he's 36 years old. In the end, Polanco finished with a career-low OPS (.674), which is no small feat for a career-long slap-hitter. He did rebound to a degree at the end of the season, hitting .282 over his final 33 games, but at that point, he had already slid far enough down the batting order that he could no longer rely on his teammates to pad his totals. The Phillies are no longer counting on Polanco as an everyday player, having acquired Ty Wigginton to spell him during the season. Polanco has always lacked power and speed. Now that the at-bats will be in short supply as well, he's strictly an NL-only option. (Updated 1/25/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
