"Double" the Devastation

Hello, readers! It has been 10 days since my last entry. I can attribute that to both my birthday weekend and Easter the following weekend. I apologize if I have deprived you of any meaty stories about the Houston Astros and our people's champion, Evan Gattis.

But now I return upon learning of some news that will not be so great to hear. Needless to say, my latest update on Evan that I published for FantasyPros.com had me in a great deal of pain writing it. I'll let you all see for yourselves:

EVAN GATTIS WILL START 2016 IN DOUBLE-A

By James Ignatius Zeankowski, Astros Correspondent, Mon, Mar 28th 3:18pm EDT

MLB.com Astros beat reporter, Brian McTaggart tweeted out on Monday that designated hitter, Evan Gattis will start the 2016 season down in the team's Double-A Corpus Christi affiliate for rehab assignment. This news comes on the heals of eight options and reasssignments the team made around the same time. A clear cut time table remains unset. (source)

Fantasy Impact: While the DL stint was to be expected upon recovering from hernia surgery, this puts Gattis in yet another early season awkward situation. With a number of prospects like Reed and White waiting in the wings, El Oso Blanco and his .772 OPS lifetime across three seasons will have to come back in a big way, or face the very real threat of becoming mid or off season trade bait. Owners should still consider Gattis as a bountiful bench option, but be mindful in doing so.

Category: Injury Updates

I'm not gonna lie, ladies and gentlemen, I'm in a bit of a panic mode. The start-of-season DL stint was to be expected, but did it have to start all the way down that far? I suppose, thinking logically, this can help keep Evan from having to do all of that travelling, since he won't have to go to Greenville, SC for single A, or Fresno, CA for AAA. 

Still, a part of me has to wonder what this may to do El Oso Blanco. Will it pressure him even more? Could it have a negative affect on what his swing has been known to do? Or, could the extra time help him to improve everything to where his bat comes back better than it ever was before?

As unofficial spokesman and president of the Evan Gattis fan club, I want to believe the latter. I want to hold onto that last bit of faith that my loyalty and devotion, like others in the fan base will be rewarded. But with all of the talk of possible trading again, it puts me and others like me in a bad position. And quite frankly, it scares me.

While I can't speak for everyone else, I know that for me, I can't go through that heart ache again. I can't bear to see Evan put more pressure on himself than he already does, and that ANY talk of him having to go to another team could bring that same pressure back again. And with it, more of the ridicule and degradation that comes with it from all of those critics, haters and such. 

I don't want them to have power anymore. But I also can't do this alone. So many would be so quick to say I'm overreacting. And maybe I am a little bit. But to be honest, it is in support of someone that could really use some of it right now, it being support. I don't think people need to give up on Evan like this. 

I remain hopeful that the Astros fan base can help this brother out in actually wanting Gattis to get better and succeed WITH the team rather than without. But too often, so many of them drool over the prospects and such, that they want to cast the Big White Bear out as yesterday's news or a mere flash in the pan. It's hurtful, but I can't do anything about it, except for pray that all things work out for the greater good of everybody. Including, Evan himself.

Photo Credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images North America

Like it or not folks, THIS is a champion & he deserves to be treated as such, & STAY right where he is!