Curtis Granderson and Joe Mauer, two major studs for their respective clubs have been bitten by the injury bug. Mauer shouldn’t be surprised he’s hurt, after appearing on the cover for the video game MLB The Show. I know it’s only a Madden curse, but try telling that to Mauer. Granderson has been put on the 15- day disabled list for the Yankees, while Mauer’s recovery period seems to change by the day, and not for the better. Read more.
With the MLB betting season in full swing, one has to wonder how these injuries will affect these clubs from a betting standpoint. From the Yankees standpoint, in Granderson you have an excellent defensive outfielder with great range. With that freaking wind tunnel they have blowing out to the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium, Granderson could easily put up twenty homeruns this year. So, you would think that with Granderson out of the lineup the Yankees would miss his bat. They may, but their record isn’t showing it just yet. The Yanks are also missing catcher Jorge Posada and closer Mariano Rivera. But the Yankees put up 17 runs against the Angels last night so they don’t seem to be missing those bats and when you get that much run support you don’t need a closer. The betting strategy might change a little bit when the Yankees go up against another team’s ace, if it’s a close game you have to wonder how that bullpen will hold up without their anchor in Rivera.
The Twins haven’t missed a beat either without Mauer. His back up is getting the job done and Twins having won 2 straight, remain tops in the division. It’s possible the Twins can get by without Mauer’s bat, although you have to think not for long, especially once pitchers find the holes in back up Twins catcher Wilson Ramos’s swing. And you know they’ll be taking a closer look at him after he went 4-5 in his starting debut. They will surely miss Mauer’s run production, Mauer drove in over 100 RBI’s last season. You would look for former AL MVP Justin Morneau to pick up the slack, but he’s not 100 percent healthy and without Mauer in the lineup you can bet he’ll be seeing all of the toughest pitches.
Mauer’s absence may also hurt the Twins in terms of their pitching. One of Mauer’s special talents is the way he handles the starting rotation for the Twins. Mauer’s thorough knowledge of batter’s tendancies and best pitches to throw in particular counts is invaluable. It may be a talent that can’t be replaced. I know I’ll be watching the Twins real closely and betting accordingly over the next few weeks.
