The calendar flipped to August, and Mark Teixeira was on pace to play his first full season since 2011. His numbers, MVP-considerable; 28 home runs and 73 RBI's, flirting with production similar to his first two seasons as a Yankee and his early Texas Rangers years. Halfway through August, the 2015 All-Star fractured a bone in his right foot. Season over. Another injury, adding to the nightmarish latter part of his stint in New York. His career-renassaince, simply a tease.
Now in 2016, Teixeira is in a contract year; his future in pinstripes uncertain. Greg Bird patiently waits in the background, while Teixeira preps himself for a 162-game job interview. Or, maybe, since we're talking about Tex, 115. Teixeira is one of those guys you genuinely like, an ambassador of the game, but sadly isn't reliable anymore. The likelihood of Tex accumulating 500 plate appearances is as slim as Brett Gardner finally learning to run the bases.
Unfortunately for the veteran, it's not a matter of if he gets injured, but when. As a Yankees fan, fingers crossed that he doesn't. But in regards to fantasy, he's difficult to trust. Teixeira has plummeted in the rankings, but still remains a top-20 first baseman. He is worth a look in later rounds of deeper league drafts, as he is still likely to breach the 20 home run mark.