ESPN

When I came back from Phoenix, after having spied a couple spring training games and participated in the prestigious League of Alternate Baseball Reality (or LABR) AL draft, I wrote the following:

"More than aiming for or against any single category, my strategy entering this auction was to take some chances. Finishing sixth doesn't feel any better than finishing 12th (all right, it feels a little better), so I was going to swing for the fences, and whiff if I might."

Um, I whiffed.

Let's count the carnage. I drafted Rich Harden and his spectacularly debilitated back muscle. I drafted Gary Sheffield and his pincushion shoulders, which you could probably stab with a knife and he wouldn't feel it for all the injections he's gotten in April. I drafted Scott Rolen and his barehanded fielding technique. I drafted Josh Beckett just a few days before he couldn't fly to Japan. I drafted Casey Janssen just a few days before his labrum exploded. I drafted Jorge Posada, and he just celebrated by making his first career stop on the DL. I drafted Mark Grudzielanek and his irritated (or is that irritating?) disk.

But the reach of my plague-fingers doesn't end there. In desperation, I picked up Mike Morse. He landed on his shoulder and dislocated it. I also tried Brian Bruney as a free-agent acquisition. He promptly tore a ligament in his foot. In even more desperation, I picked up John Bale. Mercifully, he went on the DL with "arm fatigue," probably the only made-up problem on this team. I hate myself as I type this, but I expect to wake up tomorrow morning and discover Nick Markakis has gone missing after visiting the Springfield Mystery Spot.

That team is pretty much hosed, but you don't have to be. Let's take a look at the biggest injury problems fantasy owners currently face to see if we can't offer some salve for the wounds.

Posada's Shoulder. The Yankees sent Posada to Dr. James Andrews, and the Daily News reports that Dr. Andrews has said, on looking at Posada's MRI, that he doesn't think the catcher needs surgery. Yankee doctors are calling the injury a "torn subscapularis muscle," and I'll let the wise and knowledgeable Stephania Bell tell us all about that on Wednesday. But I'm planning for a long-ish absence. If Jose Molina is Posada's long-term replacement, stay far away. Instead take a look at Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who just got called up by the Rangers, and who for now is expected to split time right down the middle with Gerald Laird. Salty is owned in just 5.3 percent of ESPN.com leagues -- and while I know it's a bummer to go from Georgie to a nominal platoon player, suffice it to say that none of the first-base or DH options in Texas are tearing the cover off the ball, so if Saltalamacchia warrants more hitting time, he'll find his way into the lineup on a more consistent basis. He's worth the risk.

Smoltz's Shoulder. Pitchers can be alarmist when they have to come out of games, but what Smoltz said about Sunday's outing didn't sound good to me: "It's frustrating, I'm not going to lie," he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Especially with the start I've had. But sometimes you can't do anything, and I just couldn't do anything … I've been struggling [with his shoulder], but trying to give it as many innings as I can." He couldn't top 90 mph Sunday, and said he plans on waiting a day or two before having his shoulder examined. Eesh. Smoltz has been awesome (2.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 36 K's, 8 walks in 27 innings), and you're not finding that on the waiver wire. But if Smoltz does indeed go back on the DL, here are a few names you can look up: Ted Lilly (owned in 41.5 percent of leagues), Hiroki Kuroda (44.9 percent) and (gulp) Scott Olsen (36.1 percent). But you might try to hit a home run with Max Scherzer, a very good Diamondbacks' pitching prospect. For the moment, Scherzer will pitch in the pen, but one of two good things could happen here: One, he might go into the rotation, at which point I think he's ownable in all mixed leagues. (He should be picked up in NL-only right now.) Two, he might become the closer. I heard rumblings from someone familiar with the Arizona situation that they've thought seriously about using Scherzer as a saves guy this year, provided Brandon Lyon and Tony Pena continue to be, well, Brandon Lyon and Tony Pena. Scherzer won't be a Holy Grail -- he's 23 and has never pitched in the majors -- but he had a 38/3 K/BB ratio at Triple-A Tucson. Even if he gets sent down after a spot start, he doesn't have anything left to prove on the farm. He'd be back quick.

Grady Sizemore's ankle and/or Justin Upton's hammy. It doesn't sound as though either of these young stars are in danger of missing a ton of time for their current ailments, but if you're in need of an outfielder, may I recommend one Mike Cameron? Cameron's 25-day suspension is completed, he's reportedly going to play his first game for Milwaukee today and he's owned in only 10.4 percent of leagues. Now, Cameron isn't doing anyone any good if he hits .242 like he did last season with the Padres. But I don't expect that to happen. Right now, the Brewers plan to have him bat second, right in front of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Fastballs, anyone? A good bet to steal 20 bases even at age 35, Cameron has also hit 22 and 21 homers the past two seasons. Go get him.

Hank Blalock's hamstring. Blalock is owned in 63.6 percent of leagues, and my preseason raving about him is at least partially responsible for that. He's been decent so far: .299 average, .824 OPS, three home runs and seven RBIs. But he also hasn't played since Friday, had an MRI yesterday and is out for at least three or four weeks with a torn hamstring. So if you need a third baseman, might I suggest Scott Rolen? Rolen was probably the only other underappreciated third-sacker I pimped as much as Blalock this year, and of course, he took that grounder off his finger and suffered a fracture. But he's back with the Jays, and hit his first homer over the weekend. Rolen is owned in 15.3 percent of leagues, and is certainly an injury risk, shoulder-wise. But I still think he'll be a top-100 hitter in fantasy in '08, and I've got him as a great free-agent pickup.

Gary Sheffield's shoulders. Never, never, never listen to athletes! What was I thinking?!? Sheff just sounded so sure he was healthy this spring. He didn't have any pain. He had full range of motion. He was raking. Not four weeks later, he's dropping vague hints about retirement? Gah. Sheffield doesn't appear headed for the DL just now, but he's hitting .159 and has more stolen bases (two) than home runs (one). If you've had enough and can bench (but not waive) the 39-year-old, I guess you could try Frank Thomas. Big Frank is owned in only 26 percent of leagues, and you can be pretty sure he'll play every day. But I still prefer (don't hit me) Milton Bradley. I know, going from Sheffield to Bradley for injury relief is like going from Ashton Kutcher to Keanu Reeves for acting tips. But when he's healthy, Bradley is such an underrated hitter, and it'll heat up soon in Texas, whereupon the ball will start flying out of Rangers Ballpark. His on-base percentage is .409 in 79 at-bats so far this year, and if he could somehow get 500 plate appearances, I think he could knock 30 dingers. I maintain he's worth a shot.

Christopher Harris is a fantasy baseball, football and racing analyst for ESPN.com. He is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner across all three of those sports.

You can e-mail him here.