Troy Glaus will reportedly miss the beginning of the season after having arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The injury is apparently a “holdover from last season” and recovery time is estimated at three months, perhaps leaving one to question the timing of the surgery. Couldn’t they have done this last October?

Glaus has already missed 161 days due to a bad right shoulder, not to mention 30 more thanks to a bum left foot. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch quotes several sources familiar with Glaus’ condition as calling the projection for return as “extremely optimistic.” 

In other words, it’s time to cross Glaus off the list of those 3B to go after in late rounds. The guy hasn’t got much love from the fantasy baseball  world this off-season, but 27 HR, 99 RBI, 69 R, and a .270 AVG last season looks almost like a carbon copy of Evan Longoria’s season in 2008. In the meantime, David Freese has the inside track on the job (for all you, NL-only guys), but top prospect Brett Wallace is the guy to watch, perhaps the player who has impressed the most since being selected in the first round in the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft. Unlike most prospects, Wallace has tremendous plate discipline to go with his power and may be Day 1 ready to contribute to fantasy leagues.