Choo's DUI Affecting His Play

     Indian's outfielder Shin-Soo Choo admitted that his DUI arrest has been affecting his play. In May, Choo hit an unusual .247 with only 1 HR and 1 SB. Choo was arrested on May 2nd in Ohio after blowing a .201 on a breathalyzer test, more than twice the legal limit. Choo says that ever since then, he's been pushing himself to play well and gain redemption among fans in America and in his native Korea.

"That happened last month. So I wanted to play good in the field, show better play and then try to make people forget," said Choo. "I'm trying too hard. That's just my natural thought. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it makes it worse. It's given me a lot of stress."

 In the past, Choo has been a valuable addition to any fantasy owner's roster. However this season Choo has been less than spectacular. He's on pace to hit only 14 HR's and drive in 61 RBI's. Choo has been a 20-20 guy for the past two seasons and the fact that his mind is getting in the way of his play scares me. Physical injuries usually have some sort of timetable, but mental blocks have no prognosis.
     Even worse is news that Indians' manager Manny Acta has dropped Choo from 3rd to 6th in the batting order. Fewer at-bats mean fewer chances for redemption. My advice would be to bench Choo and wait out this slump. He should get back to form eventually, but you can't afford to waste a starting OF roster spot while Choo breaks out this funk.