Andre Ethier

Andre Ethier shut down with herniated disc

Andre Ethier will be shut down for at least one week after an MRI revealed a mild disc herniation, according to manager Dave Roberts. Ethier was batting a stellar .500/.684/.833 in limited playing time this spring and was set to open the season as the strong side of the Dodgers' left field platoon after missing most of 2016 with a fractured shin.

Fantasy Impact

Although not much of an option in standard leagues, Ethier should provide sneaky value in deep leagues this year if he can ever stay consistently healthy. Over the course of his 11-year career, Ethier has mashed righties to the tune of .303/.382/.506 in over 4,000 plate appearances, including .306/.383/.517 in 397 plate appearances as recently as 2015 (his age-33 season). If Ethier begins the season on the disabled list, it will open the door for a pair of fantasy-interesting youngsters (Andrew Toles and Trayce Thompson) to compete for the majority of playing time in left field -- though neither is likely to play enough to be reliable in standard leagues.