Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, who has been on the IL for three weeks due to lower back inflammation, will undergo season-ending back surgery. This is a significant loss, as Yelich was among the most productive hitters on the year with his first All-Star selection since 2019. He finishes the season with a .315 average, 11 homers, 21 steals, and a .921 OPS across 270 at-bats. Unfortunately, the injury news doesn’t end there.
Yankees outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (elbow) was placed on the 10-day IL last Wednesday with a left UCL injury sustained during Monday’s game. The severity is still under review, but surgery remains a possibility. In Atlanta, Braves outfielder Jorge Soler (hamstring) strained his hamstring while running out a grounder this past Wednesday. An MRI confirmed the strain and Soler is day-to-day. Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) underwent an MRI after leaving Monday’s game against the Royals. He was placed on the 10-day IL, though Twins manager Rocco Baldelli expects him to require only the minimum stay. Finally, the Dodgers’ No. 3 prospect, starting pitcher River Ryan, will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. Ryan impressed in his MLB debut with a 1.33 ERA across four appearances, but we likely won't see the mound again until 2026.
To help manage your fantasy team through these injuries, we’ve identified some intriguing options worth considering while they’re still hot. As always, hitters on this list must be less than – or around – 50% owned in Yahoo! Leagues, and players will only reappear if they continue to perform week after week. Let’s dive in.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B - Arizona Diamondbacks (63% Owned)
Eugenio Suarez is still hitting just .234, but if the average isn’t going to hurt you, there’s no reason to leave him on waivers. The veteran hot-corner occupant is hitting .298 post-All-Star break and has already clobbered eight long balls in the second half (two from matching his total pre-All-Star break). Suarez isn’t hitting the ball harder this year or at a higher rate, but his SwSp% is an otherworldly 40% – in the top five percent in the league.
Surprisingly, he’s still hitting towards the bottom of the order. However, he has strong lineup protection with the D-Backs, and it’s still possible he will climb higher over the season’s final stretch. In the last 30 days, he’s already up to 19 runs scored and 21 RBI.
Mark Vientos, 1B/3B - New York Mets (50% Owned)
Mets 1B/3B Mark Vientos has slowed down a bit since the break, but has still been productive for the Mets’ lineup. He’s hitting just .211 in August but has a solid .275 average on the year and is one home run off of 20 through only 262 at-bats. Yes, the power has been in droves, and although Vientos’ average exit velocity has ticked down each of the last three seasons, he has nevertheless improved.
The former second-round pick has knocked his strikeout rate down to a palatable 25%, and his .306 BABIP isn’t high enough to consider his performance a fluke. The 24-year-old should be an excellent source of average and power moving forward as he is further removed from the tweaked ankle he suffered earlier in the week.
JJ Bleday, OF - Oakland Athletics (17% Owned)
Oakland OF JJ Bleday has been up and down this year, but there is no question that this has easily been his best season as a pro. After failing to hit the .200 mark over the last two campaigns, Bleday is up to a .249/.330/.449 triple-slash with 15 homers and 33 doubles. The 26-year-old is batting .341 in August and has vastly improved his plate discipline over the last few weeks.
Bleday has already matched his July HR and RBI totals this month and is just three hits away from the 18 he racked up last month – in half the at-bats. He continues to impress in his second season with the A's and has a dead-even 7:7 BB:K ratio over the last 16 days. In Keeper leagues the former first-round pick is an excellent target off waivers, and he’ll be a primary target of mine late in drafts next year.
Matt Wallner, OF - Minnesota Twins (14% Owned)
Twins OF Matt Wallner has already taken more at-bats after the All-Star break than before, and it’s time we start paying attention. The 26-year-old is absolutely destroying right-handed pitching and batting a strong .333 since the league met for festivities in Arlington. Wallner still sits against most lefties, so you should search elsewhere if you need a full-time player. However, there’s a ton to love about his profile.
If the Twins’ left fielder qualified, he’d lead the league in various batted-ball metrics. Wallner is registering a hard-hit ball a whopping 60% of the time with a 95 MPH average exit velocity – both top marks in the league. However, his 39.5K% is ghastly and not a recommended addition if you lose big points for strikeouts. Despite this, he’s offset that a bit with an 11.3BB% and has already topped his home run total from the first half of 2024.
Deep League Options
Jonah Bride, 1B/3B - Miami Marlins (8% Owned)
Miami 1B/3B Jonah Bride is hitting a cool .283 in the month of August. All five of his home runs on the year have come in the second half (in the last 17 days), and he’s walking an excellent 12.4% of the time. Additionally, Bride has knocked in 15 RBI since the All-Star break and over the last week is walking more than he’s struck out (5:3).
Gavin Sheets, 1B/OF - Chicago White Sox (3% Owned)
White Sox 1B/OF Gavin Sheets had some impressive batted-ball metrics early on but cooled off for an extended stretch from May to July. His Statcast page hasn’t caught up, but he’s been outstanding thus far in August. Sheets is batting a stellar .371 in the eighth month with a .989 OPS. It’s a robust number considering he’s blasted just one home run in the second half and has yet to draw a walk. The former second-round pick has four multi-hit games over his last six, including both a three and four-hit game.
Pitching/Streaming Options
Shane Baz, - Tampa Bay Rays (41/69% Yahoo/CBS)
Since returning from Tommy John surgery, Rays starter Shane Baz has faced quite the gambit of offenses. He’s yet to pitch to the level we’ve seen in the past, but has taken on the Astros and Yankees twice. Throw in a start against the world-champion Texas Rangers as well as a dangerous Cincinnati Reds lineup and his schedule was brutal. However, Baz has begun to turn it around.
Since allowing three runs in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals two starts ago, Baz has let up four runs over his last 12 innings of work with an 8:3 K:BB ratio. The former first-round pick has allowed more than three runs just once in seven starts and gets a favorable first start of the week against the Oakland Athletics. Baz will be tested quite a bit more when he toes the rubber against the Los Angeles Dodgers later on in the week, but he’s pitched more encouragingly recently, and a return to form could mean having a league-winner on your hands. If we exclude his four-seam fastball, his other three pitches have an xBA of .257 or lower.
Grant Holmes, - Atlanta Braves (8/8% Yahoo/CBS)
Braves starter Grant Holmes picked up his first win of the season last time out against the San Francisco Giants. The 28-year-old went seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out eight. It was a strong outing, and he has been mostly solid since moving to the rotation in July. Since the All-Star break, Holmes has racked up 33Ks to just six walks over 28 innings pitched.
Like Baz, Holmes has one favorable and not-so-favorable start this week – their order is just flipped. He’s slated to square off against the Philadelphia Phillies at home this Tuesday. It’s a tough matchup, but Holmes has been decent, and he’s striking out 25.8% of batters faced, so I’m rolling with him. The former first-round pick is a better play against the Washington Nationals in his second start – also at home.
As Week 21 unfolds, fantasy baseball managers are facing a wave of injuries, forcing many to reevaluate their rosters. With key players like Christian Yelich and Jazz Chisholm Jr. sidelined, and others like Byron Buxton and Jorge Soler dealing with day-to-day uncertainties, it's crucial to find reliable replacements and make strategic decisions to maintain your competitive edge. This week's waiver wire offers some promising options, from Eugenio Suarez's post-All-Star resurgence to Mark Vientos' steady power production, providing opportunities to bolster your lineup during this critical stretch.
As always, staying proactive on the waiver wire is essential to navigating the ups and downs of the season. Players like JJ Bleday and Matt Wallner present intriguing upside in deeper leagues, while streamable pitching options like Shane Baz and Grant Holmes offer potential rewards for those willing to take calculated risks. With injuries mounting and playoff races heating up, making the right moves now can set the stage for a strong finish to the fantasy season. Keep a close eye on matchups, injury updates, and player trends to stay ahead of the competition and keep your championship aspirations alive. Good luck!
