In fantasy sports, the waiver wire becomes very important as the season progresses. Here are some waiver wire players that can help teams in week 11 of the fantasy baseball season:
Didi Gregorius, SS, New York Yankees
Didi Gregorius is off the injury list and is back in the Yankees lineup. The Yankees shortstop had Tommy John surgery after tearing cartilage in his wrist late last season. He did this by sliding headfirst into home to score the winning run, sending the Yankees to the Wild Card game. Didi is recovered now, and is going to add another liable option to the Yankees. Gregorius is starting at short and batting fifth on Friday, June 7 in his return to the lineup. Gregorius is worth the pick-up, shown by his 27 home runs last season to go with a line of .268/.335/.494. His own percentage is rising, but he is still below 40 percent.
Craig Kimbrel, RP, Chicago Cubs
Craig Kimbrel has signed a three-year, $43 million deal according to ESPN. The all-star closer is not with the team yet, as they are sending him to their Arizona training facility to throw some bullpen sessions. He will then progress to Triple-A Iowa to pitch some innings before heading to Chicago. Adding Kimbrel is a safe move considering his high strikeout rate, and if he struggles, another pitcher will be available. Last season, Kimbrel posted a 2.74 ERA along with a .0.995 WHIP. Kimbrel is still available in about 30 percent of leagues.
Robinson Chirinos, C, Houston Astros
Robinson Chirinos is getting a lot of playing time with the Astros, and his only current competition is rookie Garrett Stubbs. He has 10 long balls on the year with over 30 runs scored. The veteran is having himself a nice season thus far, and is slugging over .500. His career high for home runs in a single season is 18, and he is on pace to break that personal best by plenty. Houston will be taking on the Brewers and Blue Jays at home in week 11. Chirinos is owned in about 25 percent of ESPN league.
Jay Bruce, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
With Odubel Herrera’s arrest and Andrew McCutchen’s injury, Jay Bruce has found his way into the starting lineup for the Phillies. Bruce has started off well as a Phillie, going 6-for-11 with three home runs in his first series with the team, bringing his home run total to 17 so far this season. Look for Bruce to continue getting starts as the Phillies try to sort out the mess they’ve been dealing with this past week. Bruce is owned in 35 percent of leagues.
Miguel Sano, 3B, Minnesota Twins
Miguel Sano was reinstated by the Twins on May 15 after injuring his heel. Through his first 15 games, he tallied 5 long balls to go with a .973 OPS. The Twins have the most home runs in the league, and Sano can certainly help that cause. That is, if he can avoid a slump as big as the one he had last season where he finished the season with a .199 BA. He is doing well so far, and he may be worth adding to see if he can heat up moving forward. The Twins third basemen is owned in about 35 percent of leagues.
Pedro Strop, RP, Chicago Cubs
Pedro Strop is back from a hamstring injury and now the Cubs will have to see who their closer will be. Strop has struggled so far this year, with his ERA hanging around 5.00. The 33-year-old World Series champion has a lot of fantasy upside though, as he gets a fair amount of strikeouts to go with his career 1.14 WHIP. Strop is owned in 20 percent of leagues.
Kevin Kiermaier, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Kevin Kiermaier is known for his defense, but his offensive ability is now being showcased as well. The Rays center fielder already has 10 stolen bases with 28 runs scored. He also has seven homers, which is on pace to beat his career-best of 15. Kiermaier is a top-tier outfielder, and is owned in only 20 percent of leagues.
Feature Image Courtesy of zimbio.com.
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