Christian Villanueva has been released by the Padres so he can sign with the Yomiuri Giants.

Fantasy Impact

Villanueva made waves on the fantasy scene last year for his power, hitting 20 homers in 351 at-bats in 2018. However, that came with a low batting average and sub-.300 OBP. Villanueva will see if he can thrive as a 26-year-old in Japan and potentially return stateside to cash in ala several recent players.

San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva has been placed on the disabled list with a fractured finger, reports Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Fantasy Impact

Villanueva has begun seeing time at second base as the Padres experiment with their team versatility, but he will now be sidelined for the next 10 days. For the season, he is batting .236 with 20 home runs, 46 RBIs, 42 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 110 games.

In addition to giving Wil Myers a look at third base down the stretch, the San Diego Padres are expected to play third baseman Christian Villanueva at both second base and shortstop in an effort to see just how versatile of a roster they have heading into the offseason.

Fantasy Impact

Villanueva exploded onto the scene with a monster April that saw him hit .321 with eight home runs, but he quickly faded and hit below .200 over the next three months. For the season, he is hitting .234 with 20 home runs, 45 RBIs, 42 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 104 games.

Christian Villanueva went 1-for-3 with a run scored on Sunday against the Phillies.

Fantasy Impact

It's been a rough ride for Villanueva after his early season barrage, but he's batting .370 in August. He's not worthy of anything more than NL-only consideration.

Christian Villanueva went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored Tuesday against the Brewers.

Fantasy Impact

Villanueva now has multiple hits in five of his last six starts. He's also walked four times in that span, and he's only struck out three times in his last seven games. He has 20 homers, but he's been a drag in batting average and OBP with a triple slash of .232/.295/.458 on the year.