For fantasy managers who've been holding onto Texas Rangers ace Jacob DeGrom (recovering from UCL surgery), your patience is about to be rewarded. In his second rehab outing with Triple-A Round Rock, DeGrom threw two perfect innings on just 24 pitches. He's expected to ramp up to 50 pitches in his next start, and it’s very likely that one more rehab appearance after that will see him rejoining the big-league squad. The last time we saw the 36-year-old in action (2023), he posted a stellar 2.67 ERA and 0.76 WHIP over 30.1 innings with a 45:4 K ratio. If you've been stashing him in your IR spot, congrats—your investment is about to pay off.
Now, onto the less exciting news—there have been some minor injuries worth monitoring.
Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm exited Thursday’s game after two innings due to hand discomfort, an injury he sustained after fouling off a pitch in the bottom of the first. While X-rays came back negative, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him miss a day or two. Meanwhile, Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had a collision with catcher Yainer Diaz, resulting in an injury to Pasquantino’s outstretched arm. The results of his X-rays are still pending.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray was placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday (retroactive to Monday) due to a hamstring strain, which will sideline him for at least the minimum required time. We should get an update on his condition soon.
But it’s not all bad news—San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (right femoral stress reaction) has been taking at-bats against live pitching. While it's still unclear when he'll be ready to return, it’s promising to see him ramping up his activities.
As always, we’re here to help cure your fantasy woes by highlighting some intriguing waiver wire options worth considering while they're hot. To qualify for this list, a hitter must be owned in less than—or around—50% of Yahoo! Leagues. Additionally, a player will only appear on this list more than once if they continue to perform well from previous weeks. Let’s dive in.
Masyn Winn, SS - St. Louis Cardinals (42% Owned)
While his roster percentage has ticked up slightly since last week, Redbirds SS Masyn Winn is now on the precipice of being a top-60 player in points leagues. Over 125 contests, he’s up to a .287/.335/.430 triple-slash with 12 home runs, 47 RBI, 66 runs scored, and ten steals. During his most recent four-game series against the Padres, Winn went 9-for-17 (.529) with four multi-hit performances, including two doubles, one homer, and five runs scored.
The 22-year-old is up to a .314 average in August, with an impressive 7:13 BB:K ratio. That puts him at a 12.3K% on the month, and he’s just 18 runs away from matching his first-half total. If he’s available in your league and your lineup needs some juice, he’s a priority add and a locked-in top option for the remainder of the fantasy season.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF - Chicago Cubs (41% Owned)
Cubs OF Pete Crow-Armstrong has been outstanding over the last week and in the month of August a solid option overall. It has easily been his best month of the year as the young outfielder is hitting .329 with four doubles and four homers, with a .980 OPS. He’s got four multi-hit games in his last six, including a three and four-hit contest.
Crow-Armstrong’s 17 RBI post-All-Star break have matched his total from the first half. The 22-year-old has nine walks in the second half – one more than he had before the break – and is striking out just 18% of the time. While he currently bats in the bottom half of the Cubs order (eighth), if he continues to hit well he probably won't be there much longer.
Connor Norby, 2B/3B - Miami Marlins (41% Owned)
Marlins Keystone occupant Connor Norby spent June and July with the Baltimore Orioles but has been with the Marlins in August and has performed much better since his move to the Sunshine State. Norby has 14 hits over 40 at-bats this month (.350), and his eight extra-base hits have his OPS up to an impressive 1.072. He’s also riding a ten-game hit streak with his new club.
The former second-round pick has been the Fins’ primary leadoff hitter over the last six games, and all five of his walks on the season have come this month – to just eight strikeouts. In the last week alone He’s well over a point-per-at-bat and has chipped in two steals to be a true five-category contributor.
Miguel Amaya, C - Chicago Cubs (30% Owned)
Cubs C Miguel Amaya has been fantastic in August with a .339 average, but has been even better over his last six games. During that time He’s been an unconscious 14-of-25 (.560) with five multi-hit games and 13 RBI. His lone appearance without a hit was an 0-for-1 outing off the bench. He’s 28-for-83 (.337) since the break, and despite not playing every day is worthy of an add while he’s so hot.
His four home runs in August have more than doubled his total on the year, and his six doubles are one more than he had in the entire first half. The 25-year-old catcher has cut his K% a strong seven points to 18.3% and is down to just 14.5% this month. Catcher can be a challenging position to find value in – Amaya, however, has been getting the job done.
Ramon Urias, 1B/2B/3B - Baltimore Orioles (26% Owned)
Baltimore 1B/2B/3B Ramon Urias has graduated to the featured tier of this column with an 18% uptick in roster percentage since he appeared in the ‘Deep League Options’ just last week. He’s continued to hit well despite batting at or near the bottom of a strong Orioles lineup. Urias has undoubtedly found his power stroke over the last month, as he’s destroyed six long balls since the All-Star break, and he’s just eight hits away from matching his first-half total.
The versatile infielder is still striking out an excessive 29% of the time despite having his average sitting at .277 in the second half. He’s just one walk away from his first-half total of 12, though – in 50 fewer at-bats. As such it’d be surprising not to see him climb the O’s lineup over the coming days.
Deep League Options
Addison Barger, 3B/SS/OF - Toronto Blue Jays (3% Owned)
Toronto 3B/SS/OF Addison Barger is riding a seven-game hit streak into the end of the month and has seen himself hit fifth in the Jays’ order over the last four contests. Barger has two doubles and two homers while going 9-of-24 (.375) with a 2:2 K:BB ratio during the streak. He’s also knocked in five runs. All five of his home runs during the season have come since the All-Star break, and his excellent positional versatility is also a boon to his outlook.
Seth Brown, 1B/OF - Oakland Athletics (2% Owned)
Oakland 1B/OF Seth Brown has steadily climbed up into the four-hole in the Athletics’ lineup and has been solid over the last week. He’s got two hits a piece in each of his previous two games and tallied up eight RBI over his last five – blasting two homers in the process. Brown has been unimpressive for most of the season, though he has hit .304 and .305 over the previous two months. There is also the possibility he may have locked up an everyday role. While this remains to be seen – the veteran outfielder is someone to monitor especially since the A’s bats have been sneaky productive this year.
Pitching/Streaming Options
Jeffrey Springs, Tampa Bay Rays (43/73% Yahoo!/CBS)
Since his return from Tommy John surgery, Tampa starter Jeffrey Springs has been up-and-down. Despite not having pitched past the fifth inning, he’s recently had some encouraging outings. Springs has allowed two or fewer runs in 4-of-6 starts and was dominant in his latest no-decision against the Seattle Mariners. Over his five innings of work, the 31-year-old struck out nine while allowing no runs on one hit and two walks.
Springs will square off against the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles in his two starts this week. They’re not exciting matchups, as both teams rank in the top seven in runs scored per game. However, he’s shown the swing-and-miss stuff recently, with seven or more strikeouts in three of his last four starts. Fire him up confidently against the Twins, and if that start goes well, he’s a lock for his second.
Osvaldo Bido, Oakland Athletics (43/48% Yahoo!/CBS)
A's starter Osvaldo Bido has been a bright spot for the in seven starts since the All-Star break. Across those 38.2 innings, Bido has an exceptional 3.03 ERA with a miniscule 0.96 WHIP. He has allowed just 14 runs on 24 hits over that span with a 41:13 K:BB ratio. Seven of those runs came in a blow-up outing against the Los Angeles Angels, where he only lasted 3.2 frames.
The 28-year-old’s stellar results on the mound are no fluke, either, as he sports an xBA, xERA, average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel percentage in the 97th percentile or better amongst qualified pitchers. He will toe the rubber against two bottom-half-of-the-league offenses this week in the Seattle Mariners and the Detroit Tigers and will look to keep his strong second-half rolling.
As Week 23 unfolds, it’s clear that making the right moves on the waiver wire can make or break your fantasy baseball season. Whether you're looking to bolster your lineup with a rising star like Masyn Winn or capitalize on the hot streaks of players like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Connor Norby, there’s plenty of talent available to give your team that final push toward victory. Even deep-league managers have options worth exploring, with Addison Barger and Seth Brown showing signs of life as potential hidden gems.
The fantasy playoffs are just around the corner, making every roster decision more crucial than ever. Stay proactive by keeping an eye on injury updates, monitoring player performances, and being ready to pounce on the latest waiver wire opportunities. With a strategic approach, you’ll be well-positioned to outmaneuver the competition and finish the season strong. Good luck!
