The Tampa Bay Rays suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday night. But the biggest blow of the day came from the injury news regarding left-hander Jeffrey Springs. The 30-year-old left his last start with a hand injury, and reports indicate he will be out for two months with a nerve issue. Jeffrey Springs fantasy baseball owners are now left searching the waiver wire to find potential replacements for the star pitcher and can find value in Taj Bradley and Brayan Bello.
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Jeffrey Springs Fantasy Baseball Replacements: Taj Bradley & Brayan Bello Could Help Fill The Void
Taj Bradley (Owned in 10.0% of ESPN Leagues)
The Rays will hope young prospect Taj Bradley can help fill the void in their rotation with Springs out for the foreseeable future, and fantasy baseball owners can use the right-hander to fill the void in their lineups, as well.
Bradley made his MLB debut against the Red Sox last week, allowing three earned runs in just five innings of work. But there is a lot to be optimistic about for the debut. Bradley struck out eight batters while walking just one, allowing just five hits, no home runs or barrels. He also got 18 called strikes and nine whiffs against an above-average Red Sox lineup, proving he could be the next successful pitcher to go through Tampa’s pitch lab.
He was sent back down to Triple-A after the game but will likely be called back with Springs now joining Zach Eflin on the injured list.
Brayan Bello (Owned in 4.0% of leagues)
Bello began the season on the IL with a forearm injury but is expected to make his season debut for the Red Sox on Monday. The 23-year-old Dominican Republic native is considered one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system but struggled a bit in 2022. Bello went just 2-8 with a 4.71 ERA but was on a nice roll near the end of the season.
But despite his rocky first couple of months in the big leagues, Bello finished with a 2.59 ERA in the month of September and should be able to ride that momentum to the beginning of his 2023 campaign. Fangraphs projects Bello to have under a 4.00 ERA this season, making him a solid fantasy baseball option for users looking to fill a void. While the Red Sox pitching staff has plenty of question marks, look for Bello to emerge as one of their better options, giving fans a reason to believe there is a bright future in store.
The Jeffrey Springs injury was certainly not ideal for fantasy baseball owners, but you can find value in both Brayan Bello and Taj Bradley on the waiver wire.
