Yahoo Sports 
A's outfield ailing, clearing path for spring star Billy Burns
If you were counting on a meaningful early season contribution from Oakland outfielder Coco Crisp, we've got some bad news for you.
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]
This via the San Francisco Chronicle:
The Chronicle has learned that Coco Crisp is expected to need surgery to remove a bone spur and chips in his right elbow, and he would miss six to eight weeks after the arthroscopic procedure.
Of course it's not as if you didn't understand the risks associated with Crisp. He has a deep injury history, with five trips to the DL during his six seasons with the A's. Josh Reddick is dealing with an oblique malfunction at the moment, so he'll be sidelined for something like five games, too.
Oakland figures to use burner Craig Gentry and the exceedingly versatile Ben Zobrist to cover the outfield absences, but we're also likely to see 25-year-old Billy Burns in the mix — and if Burns is playing, it's an actionable fantasy event in deeper leagues.
Burns is having a ridiculous spring for the A's, leading all players in hits (29-for-73) while swiping four bags and slashing .397/.444/.507. Over the past two minor league seasons, he's stolen 128 bases in only 141 attempts. Fast dude, Burns. He offers no power, but he demonstrated solid on-base skills in the minors (.387 career OBP) and he's not a high-K hitter.
Burns will certainly be worth a look in daily games early in the season, and his speed could make him interesting in standard leagues, too. Keep him on the watch list.
