Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: 10 Injury Replacements Who Can Be Assets

Injuries are wreaking havoc on fantasy owners as of late.

Elite closer Brian Wilson and valuable starting pitcher Scott Baker will miss the rest of the 2012 season. Last Friday, Jacoby Ellsbury suffered a shoulder injury that will likely keep him out for a few months. And although lesser known, helpful players such as Lorenzo Cain have recently been placed on the DL.

Still, you, the worried fantasy owner, should take a deep breath.

If you make the right waiver-wire pickups, you will be just fine.

Here are 10 players to pickup if your team was just hit by the injury bug.

(All percentages are from ESPN fantasy baseball standard leagues.)

Brennan Boesch: OF, Detroit Tigers

Boesch (47.4 percent) represents one of the best options for a Jacoby Ellsbury owner.

In 428 at-bats last season, Boesch racked up 75 runs, 16 home runs and 54 RBI while hitting .283.

Boesch should have more at-bats this season, and behind him bats Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, so he should cross the plate at an even better rate this season.

Despite his slow start this season (.244 average and one home run), the Tigers outfielder is in store for a very good season, as he could possibly knock out 20 home runs.

He should be snatched up immediately. 

Matt Harrison: SP, Texas Rangers

Harrison (29.3 percent) has started the 2012 season very efficiently, so far pitching 14 innings and only allowing one run.

While he clearly will not keep up the pace he is on, his performance is not a fluke either. 

Harrison showed much-improved control in 2011 than in years past, and had himself a 14-win season with a 3.39 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. And when many wrote off Harrison after a rough August (6.07 ERA), he bounced back and put together his best month of the season in September (4-0 and 2.64 ERA).

Harrison is a very underrated pitcher, and should be yet again in store for many wins given the talent the Rangers possess on offense.

Sergio Romo: RP, San Francisco Giants

Romo's (11.4 percent) value was dealt a great boost by the news that Brian Wilson will miss the rest of the 2012 season, as he is now in line for save opportunities.

He would be a no-brainer pickup had he been named the closer immediately, but manager Bruce Bochy has indicated he will employ a closer-by-committee strategy with him and Santiago Casilla. 

Still, he is someone owners should be looking to add off the wire.

In 110 innings in 2010 and 2011, Romo allowed only 23 earned runs and also struck out 140 batters. 

While Casilla is probably the better pickup in the short term, I still prefer Romo because I believe he will at some point entrench himself in the closer role, and when he does, he will be a tremendous asset for fantasy players. 

Alejandro De Aza: OF, Chicago White Sox

De Aza (27.9 percent) is a guy who can help owners tremendously in the steals department. 

He was not on many fantasy owners' radars last season, but he produced well in limited playing time (54 games). He finished the season with 12 steals, a .329 average and a .400 OBP. 

In his first eight games this season, Aza has not ran as much as fantasy owners would have liked him to (only two attempts), but that number should rise soon. Aza has made up for it with a little bit of power, knocking out two home runs. He very well could hit 10 or so home runs this season. 

Also, being the leadoff hitter will make him helpful in runs.

Aza is someone with a great deal of potential, and is one of the first outfielders fantasy owners should take a look at.

Hector Santiago: CP, Chicago White Sox

Santiago's lack of ownership is actually quite puzzling (50.1 percent). 

I understand the White Sox have other options should he falter, as Matt Thornton and Addison Reed are still in the mix. Currently though, Santiago is the lone White Sox closer.

He hasn't pitched excellently, and a blown save Monday night swells his ERA up to 6.75, but in his first three appearances, Santiago got the job done. 

I doubt Santiago holds on to the job all season, but he is not in a committee, so he should be owned in almost every league right now. 

Lance Lynn: SP, St. Louis Cardinals

Lynn's (21.4 percent) transition to a starting role has gone smoothly thus far in 2012. In two starts, Lynn (2-0) struck out 13 in 12 innings, and only allowed two earned runs. 

As a reliever in 2011, he struck out 40 in 34.2 innings, so expect continued dominance in strikeouts. He also posted an impressive 1.04 WHIP.

While the Cardinals did lose Albert Pujols in the offseason, they still have a potent offense, so if Lynn can pitch deep into games, he should rack up the wins.

Lynn's spot in the rotation is not guaranteed for the rest of the season, as Chris Carpenter will obviously require a spot when he comes off the DL. But Carpenter appears to be a long way from returning, which means Lynn should be very useful for quite some time.  

Jordan Schafer: OF, Astros

If you are an Ellsbury owner, chances are your team is in need of some speed. Well, Schafer (43.3 percent) can absolutely help you there.

In only 82 games and 302 at-bats in 2011, Schafer stole 22 bases in 26 attempts.  

Schafer has a great playing time situation with the Astros. Likely only his health will keep him out of the lineup at times.

Schafer has demonstrated his value so far in 2011, as he has stolen five bases in his first nine games.

Even on a bad offense, as the leadoff hitter like Aza, Schafer should provide pretty well in runs. 

Fernando Rodney: CP, Tampa Bay Rays

Rodney is another player whose lack of ownership (59.2 percent) baffles me. 

The Rays' would-be closer Kyle Farnesworth will likely be on the disabled list for another four to six weeks, according to manager Joe Maddon, leaving the closing job strictly in Rodney's hands.

While Rodney has a frightening 1.45 career WHIP, he has pitched great thus far in 2012. In fact, while also posting four saves, he has allowed only one walk and zero hits (.23 WHIP). Very impressive.

That WHIP likely will not be low for long, but Rodney will undoubtedly help you in saves in the foreseeable future.

Raul Ibanez: OF, New York Yankees

Ibanez (34.4 percent) is not the player he used to be, nor will he be in the lineup as often as past years, but he still can be useful for fantasy.

He is not going to hit for average, but he still has some pop, and will play the majority of his games at Yankee stadium. On top of that, he plays on one of the top offenses in baseball, so RBI opportunities will come about routinely.

Ibanez is likely one of only a few on your wire who has a strong chance of reaching 20 home runs and 80 RBI, so give him a look.

Erik Bedard: SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Fantasy owners are usually looking for a replacement because of a Bedard injury. But not this time. 

While Bedard will always have health concerns, he is currently fine and should not be ignored by fantasy owners (12.9 percent).

While being on the Pirates obviously limits his win potential, Bedard is still a great source of strikeouts, as he amassed 125 of them in only 129.1 innings last season.  

Bedard also produced a low WHIP last season after being traded to the Mariners (1.17 WHIP in 16 starts).

Bedard is completely capable of putting up similar numbers this season, so as long he is healthy, he represents a great pickup for Baker owners.