The San Diego Padres have sold third baseman Christian Villanueva's rights to the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese League. Villanueva was a bright spot for the Friars in 2018, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 46. However, he hit only .236/.299/.450 in 351 at-bats. San Diego doesn't have an obvious choice to start at the hot corner with Villanueva out of the picture, although Greg Garcia and Jose Pirela could be options.
Per Ken Rosenthal, the San Diego Padres are selling third baseman Christian Villanueva to the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. The Padres announced Villanueva was designated for assignment earlier on Tuesday. The 27-year-old burst on the scene as a rookie in 2018, crushing eight homers and winning Rookie of the Month honors in April. He fell off considerably afterwards, batting only .209 from May 1 until his season was cut short by injury in August. Villanueva will get a fresh opportunity overseas and the Padres will be in the free agent market for a starter at the hot corner.
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva (finger) has officially been shut down for the rest of the season after he broke the middle finger on his right hand in August. Villanueva finishes with a .236/.299/.450 slash line with 20 home runs in 110 games in 2018. The 27-year-old had a couple of decent stretches where he helped fantasy owners in deeper leagues with his power, but like most Padres hitters this year, he whiffed too much.
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva (finger) has been placed on the 10-day disabled list on Thursday. Villanueva suffered a fractured right middle finger while attempting to field a ground ball on Wednesday. He's expected to miss three or four weeks, so his 2018 season could be over. Many fantasy owners may want to drop him unless they have a DL slot available.
Christian Villanueva is Out of the Lineup Wednesday
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva (rest) is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Wil Myers will play third base and bat second against righty Felix Pena. On Monday, the Padres said they would give Villanueva a look at second base and shortstop. It sounds like they plan to keep Myers at third base, so Villanueva is likely going to need to move elsewhere. Myers is 0-for-7 since coming off the DL, but is facing a mediocre starter on Wednesday. He's worth a look in DFS contests, but could be somewhat risky.
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva (rest) is out of the starting lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Cory Spangenberg will bat sixth and play third base against righty Shelby Miller. It looks like just a routine day off for Villanueva, who has heavily cooled off since April. Most owners should stay away from Villanueva unless you're in desperate need of a power hitter.
San Diego Padres infielder Cory Spangenberg will start at third base in place of Christian Villanueva Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite smacking his team-leading 17th home run on Wednesday, Villanueva is stuck in a deep slump, hitting just .188 since May 1. Spangenberg will bring a left-handed bat to the Padres lineup against Diamondbacks righty starter Shelby Miller. Spangenberg has not been great this season, slashing .238/.272/.390 but does have six homers and five steals in 182 plate appearances. For daily players willing to take a gamble, Spangenberg is hitting .298 since June 1 with three long balls.
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva cracked his 17th home run in Wednesday's loss to the Oakland Athletics. Villanueva took A's lefty starter Sean Manaea deep for a two-run shot in the second inning and finished the day 2-for-4. After a torrid start to his rookie season, Villanueva has struggled mightily, batting just .188 since May 1. Due to his extended slump, he's been sharing more time with infielder Cory Spangenberg at the hot corner. Villanueva continues to have immense success against left-handed pitching (1.189 OPS) and performs better at home (.851 OPS) than on the road (.710). The dramatic splits make Villanueva a better fantasy asset in daily games than season-long leagues.
Christian Villanueva Out, Cory Spangenberg At Third
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva is out of the lineup Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. Utility infielder Cory Spangenberg will man the hot corner. Since his last homer on May 31, Villanueva is mired in a 4-for-31 funk (.129) with 12 strikeouts. Villanueva's average has dipped all the way to .223 and his OPS is below .800 for the first time this season. Stuck on 15 homers, his fantasy stock has plummeted accordingly and should be benched until he rediscovers his stroke. Villanueva will yield to Spangenberg, who's gone deep six times, stolen five bases and holds a .658 OPS in 137 plate appearances. Spangenberg is not a season-long fantasy option and a risky gamble in daily leagues.
San Diego Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva is out of Saturday's lineup against the Miami Marlins. Villanueva holds a .584 OPS against right-handed pitching this season and will take a seat against starter Dan Straily. Villanueva is slashing .232/.294/.525 and is second in the National League with 15 long balls this season. The upstart rookie strikes out in 29 percent of his plate appearances, so the average will likely stay depressed, but his power is real. Villanueva remains a worthy fantasy asset for teams needing homers and RBI and is a must-start against left-handed pitching (1.306 OPS).
