Here’s a look at five options to add off your fantasy baseball waiver wire heading toward the calendar declaration of the start of summer.
5. Los Angeles Angels SP Tim Lincecum
Lincecum made his 2016 major league debut on Saturday, and he allowed one run on four hits to the Oakland Athletics over six innings. His strikeout total (two) was not befitting “The Freak” when he was in his prime, but as long as he can stay healthy Lincecum is in line to deliver acceptable results for owners in AL-only and deep mixed leagues.
Yahoo! Ownership: 28%
4. Los Angeles Dodgers OF Trayce Thompson
Thompson has 11 home runs and 26 RBI over 162 at-bats this season entering Saturday night, and Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts has committed to him as an everyday player even after Yasiel Puig returns from a hamstring injury. Klay’s brother is building his own resume in another sport, and fantasy owners should be taking notice.
Yahoo! Ownership: 40%
3. Baltimore Orioles SS J.J. Hardy
Hardy returned from a fractured left foot on Saturday, and went 1-for-3 with a double. Durability is a big factor with Hardy, but on power potential alone (77 home runs from 2011-2013, five 20-plus home run seasons in his career) fantasy owners should be paying attention.
Yahoo! Ownership: 3%
2.Miami Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki
“Ichiro” has had a resurgence this year, with a .354 batting average, 22 runs scored and six stolen bases. A bit of an elevated BABIP (.375 entering Saturday) makes some regression possible, but compared to 2015 (.257 BABIP) that’s much more in line with his career mark (.340 BABIP). Suzuki is obviously not a top-shelf fantasy outfielder anymore, but any NL-only or deep mixed league owner in need of batting average help can consider adding him.
Yahoo! Ownership: 5%
1.Washington Nationals RP Shawn Kelley
With Jonathan Papelbon out with a right intercostal strain, manager Dusty Baker has named Kelley the closer for the Nationals right now. Papelbon may miss more than the minimum 15 days of his disabled list stint, and while Kelley’s ownership rate is rising substantially he should still be more widely owned.
Yahoo! Ownership: 42%