As if things weren't bad enough for Jay's Jackalope, in the last couple days they learned they will be without two of their top offensive players for at least the next six weeks. Second baseman Marcus Giles will miss six to eight weeks with a broken collarbone, sufferred in a violent collision with Andruw Jones while chasing a pop up in the outfield. Third baseman Troy Glaus will miss a minimum of two months after undergoing shoulder surgery. Glaus could miss the remainder of the season.
Giles, the Jackalope's second overall pick in this March's draft, was off to a terrific start. He hit .339 with 3 home runs, 18 runs scored and batted in and six stolen bases prior to the injury. Giles was selected by the Jackalope to bolster an otherwise weak middle infield. Unfortunately, Giles natural replacement would be Roberto Alomar, but he too is on the disabled list right now. They may need to sign a free agent to fill the second base slot.
Troy Glaus was one of the few bright spots for the Jackalope in the early season. He is currently tied for the league lead in home runs with 11. He also has a solid .296 average and 28 runs batted in. Glaus is in his fifth season with the Jackalope. He has been one of their primary power sources in recent years. However, he was limited to just 319 at bats last year due to injuries and will likely fall well short of that number this season. Like Giles, the Jackalope will probably need to sign a free agent to replace Glaus. They do not have another third baseman on the roster.
It has been a rough go of it for the Jackalope so far. They are in last place by a good margin, 15 points behind the ninth place Gators. The pitching staff has been awful. The offense was somewhat respectable, but that was primarily due to the contributions from Glaus and Giles. It is difficult to put a positive spin on their situation at the moment. A few of their underperforming stars will need to turn things around in a hurry.
