Luis Valbuena Fantasy Stats

Free-agent infielder Luis Valbuena and former major leaguer Jose Castillo were both killed in a car accident in Venezuela on Thursday. Both players were leaving the stadium after playing in a game in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Authorities said their car went to the opposite side of the road while trying to avoid a sliding rock. Valbuena played in the majors for 11 seasons, most recently with the Angels the last two years. Castillo played in the majors from 2004 to 2008. RotoBaller extends its condolences to the families of the two players.

The Los Angeles Angels have designated infielder Luis Valbuena for assignment. Valbuena was in the midst of an ill-fated two-year, $15 million dollar contract. He was slashing an abysmal .199/.253/.335 with nine home runs and three steals. At the moment, it appears that utility infielder Kaleb Cowart and Jefry Marte will split time at third until Taylor Ward gets the call in September. Neither Marte or Cowart is worth anything outside of very deep leagues. Deck McGuire was recalled to make a spot start.

Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher is starting at third base and hitting ninth on Monday against right-hander Lucas Giolito. Typically, Fletcher will start against left-handers with Luis Valbuena taking the majority of playing time against right-handers. No word if Fletcher has won the starting third base job outright, or if this is simply a day off for Valbuena. If Fletcher is going to get every day at-bats, he is worth a look in deeper formats. He is currently hitting .273 with one home run and one steal in 88 at-bats.

With the Los Angeles Angels facing a left-handed pitcher, both infielder Luis Valbuena and Kole Calhoun are out of the lineup. Both players have been in a strict platoon all season, so this isn't a huge surprise. With Zack Cozart done for the season, Valbuena will likely split time with rookie David Fletcher at third base. Calhoun will give way to Michael Hermosillo on Thursday, with Chris Young starting in center field while Mike Trout serves as the designated hitter. Both Calhoun and Valbuena are safe bets to enter the lineup again over the weekend.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun and infielder Luis Valbuena will sit on Tuesday against left-hander David Price. Calhoun has hit well since returning from the disabled list, but it looks like he will still be held out against left-handers, at least for now. Michael Hermosillo will take his place in right field, batting ninth. Valbuena has long struggled against left-handers and will take a seat with rookie David Fletcher taking his place. Both can be expected back soon.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Valbuena is out of the lineup on Tuesday. Valbuena has been a consistent starter for the Angels with injuries taking out Shohei Ohtani, Zack Cozart and Jefry Marte. However, he will head to the bench against right-hander Matt Koch on Tuesday. There's no word if Valbuena is battling an injury or just getting a day off. Mike Trout will serve as the designated hitter, with Chris Young in center field. Albert Pujols is playing first base and rookie infielder David Fletcher is covering third base.

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Zack Cozart is getting an MRI on his strained left forearm. Although he has missed the last three games, he has yet to be placed on the disabled list. He is hopeful he will not need a DL stint, but more will be known after his MRI. Luis Valbuena is starting in his place, batting seventh.

Los Angeles Angels third baseman Zack Cozart (forearm) is not back in the lineup on Friday. This will be his third straight absence, although at this point a stint on the DL has not been mentioned. Luis Valbuena will start at third base in his absence, hitting seventh. Another day or two without Cozart and it wouldn't be too surprising to see him placed on the DL.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Valbuena is in the lineup on Tuesday, batting sixth and playing first base. With Shohei Ohtani expected to pitch on Wednesday, he is taking the day off from hitting. That allows Albert Pujols to slide into the designated hitter spot, with Valbuena manning first against the right-handed Michael Fulmer. This will likely be a role Valbuena holds going forward. It nets him a few starts a week, but not enough to make him fantasy relevant outside of very deep leagues and as a cheap DFS play against struggling right-handers.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Valbuena has been quietly consistent all season when the at-bats have been there, but for the last week he has boasted a .385/.467/.615 slash line. He is batting cleanup in the Angels lineup today with Albert Pujols getting the day off and has a great opportunity to drive in some runs against Felix Hernandez. The Mariners starter has a terrible 7.16 ERA in day games this season. Valbuena also has good numbers against Hernandez in his career, with a .364/.462/.636 slash line, so look for him to be productive on Sunday.