Wigginton to start at 1B for Phillies: Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told ESPN.com on Wednesday that Ty Wigginton will start at first base until Ryan Howard is ready to return from a torn left Achilles' tendon. Jim Thome will serve as his backup. Wigginton, who was acquired from the Rockies during the offseason, batted .242 with 15 home runs and 47 RBI in 2011. (Updated 01/18/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Wigginton can play all over the field, but with Howard potentially out for the first month or two, the Phillies will roll with the utility player at first base. Wigginton has enough power potential to make an impact in mixed leagues and could earn more playing time if he hits well in Howard's absence. But since he is not guaranteed everyday at-bats for the entire 2012 campaign, target Wigginton in NL-only formats and deeper mixed leagues on Draft Day. (Updated 01/18/2012).
Ty Wigginton had been a viable Fantasy option in the past, putting together three seasons of 20-plus homers. So when he joined the Rockies in 2011, taking in the thin air of Coors Field for the first time, most Fantasy owners probably expected him to put together a career season. Yet even with the demise of Ian Stewart and the extra at-bats it afforded Wigginton at third base, the 34-year-old took a definite step backward, hitting .242 with a .731 OPS. So when you assess his current situation in Philadelphia, where he'll be playing in another great hitter's park and getting consistent at-bats as both an injury fill-in for Ryan Howard at the beginning of the season and a platoon partner for Placido Polanco later on, a certain expression should come to mind: live and learn. Wigginton's combination of pop and versatility gives him some low-end appeal in deeper Fantasy leagues, particularly Rotisserie formats, but he has a limited ceiling and is already on the downside of his career. Don't overpay for him. (Updated 1/25/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
