Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes (hamstring) is headed to the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
Byrnes, who spent a month on the DL with a strained right hamstring, pulled up as he tried to steal third in the second inning Monday, June 30. "It looked like he had the base stolen, and a step or two before he started to go into his dive, it went on him," manager Bob Melvin said. "It's definitely DL. How long? We're not 100 percent sure."Byrnes is hitting just .209 with six homers and 23 RBI on the season; he has stolen just four bases so far after swiping 50 last year. This certainly isn't what the team expected when they signed him to a three-year, $30 million extension after a career year in 2007.
Byrnes said he has tears in both of his hamstrings during a radio interview May 30. That means there is potential for this to be a serious injury. Stash him in a DL spot in deep mixed and NL-only leagues if you have the room, but he might not be worth your patience in shallow mixed formats, especially with the lingering nature of his hamstring tears.
The D-Backs don't have a long-term option in the minors to replace him. Outfielder Alex Romero is hitting .325 at Triple-A Tucson, but he doesn't provide the combination of speed and power or Byrnes' leadership on a young team.
Outfielder Jeff Salazar could see time against righties, but he is hitting just .202 in 89 at-bats against them this season. One option the team has flirted with lately is using first baseman Conor Jackson in the outfield and installing infielder Chad Tracy at first base. This could give Tracy more value in NL-only leagues.
