DIVISIONAL OUTLOOK: NL Central—Is Hamilton on the horizon?

Cincinnati Reds

With an awkward slide on opening day, Ryan Ludwick's (OF, CIN) season is suddenly in jeopardy. Ludwick had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his shoulder and is expected to miss 13-14 weeks.  And when Ludwick returns, his ability to generate his usual power is in question. So, what are the Reds' options?

The immediate answer is Chris Heisey (OF, CIN), who will get most of the AB in the short term. Heisey hit 18 HR in 279 AB for the Reds in 2011 with a .254 BA and 157 PX, but his PX plummeted to 90 last season, and he hit only seven homers in 347 AB. A 7% hr/f rate appears to have been the culprit, but it may take some time to see which Heisey shows up. This spring Heisey had 17 hits in 62 AB, with four doubles and...

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