Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford suffered a tough break Tuesday night, as the ankle injury he suffered against the Reds is expected to send him to the disabled list. It comes at a bad time as Crawford was starting to work his way back into being a Fantasy-relevant option.
Though, his injury could provide the Dodgers with the opportunity to promote highly touted prospect Joc Pederson, who has been toiling at Triple-A Albuquerque despite video-game-like numbers. Pederson is batting .347 with a .454 on-base percentage, .642 slugging percentage, 1.096 OPS, 15 home runs and 32 RBI in 50 games. Now, you could make the argument Pederson's numbers are little inflated because of the hitter-friendly PCL. However, he has a career .307/.402/.522/.924 slash line, so he's a legit offensive weapon.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign that indicates Pederson is ready for the majors is how well he's hitting lefties, which has been a weakness in the past. He is batting .296 with a .549 slugging percentage and .932 OPS in 71 at-bats against lefties this season.
I hope the Dodgers bring Pederson to the majors. Even though he might not play full-time because the Dodgers still have Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig, Pederson can still make an impact and help the team win games. Also, Puig was in a similar situation last year and yet managed to play his way into the lineup.
The team might have a lot of money locked up in Crawford, Kemp and Ethier, but Pederson is proving he's too good for the minors and needs his shot at the majors. If Pederson is recalled to replace Crawford, then I wouldn't hesitate adding him in Fantasy.