Yasmani Grandal C, Padres
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 4.7 percent)
Grandal's first stint in the big leagues didn't last very long, but it's safe to say he's up to stay now. The 23-year-old backstop was called up from the minors last Saturday following Nick Hundley's demotion and made history by becoming the first player to homer from each side of the plate for his first two career hits. He has slugged two more homers this week. Granted, those home runs might be tougher to come by once Grandal returns home to PETCO Park, but the 2010 first-round pick showed an ability to hit for average in the minors and owned a solid 136/100 K/BB ratio over 709 plate appearances. He's well worth a look in all formats.
D.J. Short's full Waiver Wired column
Franklin Morales SP/RP, Red Sox
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 27 percent owned, ESPN: 37.8 percent)
Morales has really impressed since moving into Boston's starting rotation last month, allowing just four runs over 18 innings while striking out 24 and walking only three. This includes seven shutout innings against the Mariners in Safeco Field during his last start. Of course, things will get much tougher this weekend when the 26-year-old faces the Yankees during Saturday's doubleheader in Boston. I frankly wouldn't blame those who shy away from the tough matchup, but the hard-throwing southpaw has an excellent chance to keep a rotation spot even after Clay Buchholz returns from the disabled list.
D.J. Short's full Waiver Wired column
Adam Lind 1B, Blue Jays
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 25 percent owned, ESPN: 23.8 percent)
Will Lind ever return to his 2009 form? Unlikely. But he does have three homers and seven RBI in nine games since returning from Triple-A Las Vegas late last month. The 28-year-old was moved up to fifth in the lineup for Wednesday's game and went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. And that would obviously be a really nice spot for him for fantasy purposes. It's important to note that Lind has a .175 batting average and a .488 OPS over 332 plate appearances against southpaws dating back to 2010, so he should strictly be used against right-handed pitchers. He's a more logical option in deeper leagues where you can make daily lineup changes.
D.J. Short's full Waiver Wired column
Quintin Berry OF, Tigers
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 11 percent owned, ESPN: 29.7 percent)
Berry was a nice waiver wire find while Austin Jackson was on the disabled list, but his continued strong play has allowed him to stick around much longer than originally expected. The 27-year-old owns an impressive .295/.388/.394 batting line through 154 plate appearances and has 12 steals and 26 runs scored in 38 games. I still think regression is likely around the corner, as it will be impossible for him to sustain his .404 batting average on plays in play (BABIP) for the long haul, but he should continue to play pretty regularly in left field until Andy Dirks returns or the Tigers make an addition before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He's a fine option if you're looking for speed.
D.J. Short's full Waiver Wired column
Clayton Richard SP, Padres
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 20 percent owned, ESPN: 21 percent)
Richard has shown no ill effects following season-ending shoulder surgery last year, posting a 3.64 ERA and 66/28 K/BB ratio over 113 2/3 innings so far this season. This includes a stingy 1.70 ERA over his last five starts. While he has enjoyed more success at home (2.91 ERA) than on the road (4.14 ERA) this season, four out of those five starts were away from PETCO Park. Richard will wrap up the first half Friday with a start against the Reds at home, so he makes for a pretty nice streaming option in most formats.
D.J. Short's full Waiver Wired column
Tommy Milone SP, Athletics
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 31 percent owned, ESPN: 21.3 percent)
Milone has been absolute money at home this season, going 5-1 with a ridiculous 0.99 ERA over six starts. Away from O.co Coliseum? Well, that's a different story. The 25-year-old southpaw has a 5.98 ERA in 10 starts. And that's including his recent solid efforts in Texas and Seattle. Fortunately Milone returns home Friday to take on the Mariners, who have the worst offense in the American League. If you're looking for a streaming option this weekend, this is a pretty easy call.
Juan Pierre OF, Phillies
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 22 percent owned, ESPN: 29.6 percent)
Fine, I'll admit it, Pierre has actually been pretty useful in fantasy leagues this season. The 34-year-old slap-hitter is hitting .322 through 70 games, his highest batting average since he batted .326 with the Marlins way back in 2004. Sure, only 10 of his 73 hits have been for extra bases, but he has made up for it by going 20-for-23 in stolen base attempts. Only Mike Trout, Michael Bourn, Tony Campana and Dee Gordon have swiped more bags. The composition of the Phillies' lineup will change a bit once Ryan Howard returns from the disabled list, but the left-handed hitting Pierre should still get most of the at-bats in left field even if he ends up in a platoon with the right-handed hitting John Mayberry, Jr.
Erick Aybar SS, Angels
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 36 percent owned, ESPN: 36.9 percent)
I mentioned Aybar in Waiver Wired way back on the morning of May 17 when he was hitting just .190 over his first 35 games. Sure enough, he has turned things around pretty dramatically since then, hitting .327 over his last 43 games and .436 (24-for-55) over his last 15 contests. The 28-year-old shortstop has been very quiet on the basepaths this season (5-for-7 in stolen base attempts) and he isn't nearly as valuable hitting in the bottom-third of the order as opposed to the leadoff spot, but he can still help most mixed league rosters.
Garrett Jones 1B/OF, Pirates
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 10.5 percent)
Jones is currently enjoying his most productive season since his surprising 2009 campaign. The 31-year-old is hitting .275 with 12 homers, 36 RBI and an .825 OPS through 67 games while splitting playing time between first base and right field. His walk rate has completely disappeared and his strikeout rate is up, so there are some warning signs, but he should continue to get pretty regular playing time now that Jose Tabata is in the minors. Just remember that his struggles against left-handers (.595 career OPS) render him as a platoon option in fantasy leagues.
Wilin Rosario C, Rockies
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 28 percent owned, ESPN: 20.5 percent)
I mentioned Rosario in Waiver Wired back on May 31 just when Ramon Hernandez was placed on the disabled list with a hand injury. The rookie backstop has run away with the opportunity at regular playing time by batting .267 with seven homers, four doubles, 18 RBI and an .842 OPS over his past 24 games. He's currently third among fantasy catchers with 14 home runs, despite logging only 182 plate appearances. Rosario has only walked just 10 times over 250 plate appearances in the majors and strikes out too much to hit for a high batting average, so his flaws are obvious, but he has shown enough in a limited sample to warrant the bulk of the playing time behind the plate once Hernandez returns after the All-Star break.
Jim Thome UTIL, Orioles
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 8 percent owned, ESPN: 2.2 percent)
The Phillies did Thome a solid last weekend by trading him to the Orioles. While the future Hall of Famer was headed toward irrelevancy as a bench player in Philadelphia, semi-regular at-bats in Baltimore should put him back on the radar in deeper mixed leagues. The 41-year-old slugger is a bit of a tough sell since he only qualifies out of the utility spot and has a chronic back condition, but his recent nine-game stretch during interleague play (12-for-36 with four homers, two doubles, 14 RBI, four walks and a 1.137 OPS) shows that he probably isn't done mashing those taters. Power-starved owners could do a lot worse.
Tyler Colvin 1B/OF, Rockies
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 9 percent owned, ESPN: 7.6 percent)
It's about time we start paying more attention to this guy. Colvin has been very productive as a part-time player with the Rockies this season, hitting .302/.331/.599 with 10 homers, 35 RBI and a .930 OPS through 61 games. Not surprisingly, he has enjoyed most of his success at home, amassing seven home runs and a 1.104 OPS. There's no clear path to regular playing time in the Rockies' outfield right now, but we could see more of Michael Cuddyer at first base in the days ahead, especially if Todd Helton's recent hip issue results in a trip to the disabled list.
Brett Anderson SP, Athletics
MIXED LEAGUES
(Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)
Here's a little bit of a bonus pick. Anderson is set to throw to hitters Friday for the first time since Tommy John surgery, which means he isn't far off from a minor league rehab assignment. The 24-year-old southpaw will likely need all of July to shake the rust against live competition, but he should join Oakland's rotation in August if all goes well. I like Anderson more for 2013 than I do this year, but he could surprise in deeper formats down the stretch. If you have an open DL spot and some roster flexibility, he makes for an intriguing stash.
Starling Marte OF, Pirates
NL ONLY
(Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)
When the Pirates demoted the disappointing Jose Tabata to the minors last week, many thought it would pave the way for Marte's arrival to the big leagues. Instead, Gorkys Hernandez got the call. Still, it's likely just a matter of time. Marte, 23, is hitting .290/.349/.497 with nine homers, 50 RBI and 17 stolen bases through 80 games with Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He has mostly played center field in the minors, but his arm is strong enough for him to play right field in the big leagues. While his plate discipline is a work in progress, his modest power-speed combo makes him worth stashing in NL-only leagues right now.
Brett Wallace 1B/3B, Astros
NL ONLY
(Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)
One of the main beneficiaries of this week's Carlos Lee trade, Wallace should now get another shot at regular playing time at first base. The 25-year-old did a nice job filling in while Lee was on the disabled list in June, batting .333 (12-for-36) with two homers and three doubles, but the former top prospect still owns a lousy .701 OPS over 580 plate appearances in the big leagues. I'm not convinced Wallace will actually be part of the next winning team in Houston, but he should at least get the opportunity to prove his worth during the second half.
Jedd Gyorko 3B, Padres
NL ONLY
(Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)
While the trade winds fly in San Diego, Gyorko continues to produce in the minors. The 23-year-old is hitting .350 with 11 homers, 42 RBI and a .994 OPS through 46 games while Triple-A Tucson while splitting time between second base and the hot corner. Checking in at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, his line drive stroke should play quite nicely at PETCO Park. There would be an obvious opening for him at third base if the Padres end up dealing Chase Headley before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but there's a good chance he makes his way to the majors during the second half regardless.
Ben Sheets SP, Braves
NL ONLY
(Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)
He's back. Sheets signed a minor league deal with the Braves over the weekend and made his first professional start in nearly two years on Wednesday night, allowing four runs over five innings with Double-A Mississippi. While his line wasn't all that impressive, he sat around 90 mph on the radar gun and retired the final 10 batters he faced. Now 33 years old, Sheets remains a tremendous injury risk, but he could join the Braves' rotation shortly after the All-Star break if all goes well. Take a flier.
Darnell McDonald OF, Yankees
AL ONLY
(Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)
Things were starting to get pretty crowded in the Red Sox outfield, so McDonald was designated for assignment over the weekend. However, the Yankees were happy to pick him up over waivers this week. The 33-year-old is hitting just .214 with two homers and a .678 OPS in 99 plate appearances, but he is capable of playing all three outfield positions and owns a .786 career OPS against southpaws. He could be a useful part-time player until Brett Gardner returns from the disabled list.
Chris Carter 1B, Athletics
AL ONLY
(Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.5 percent)
Carter has delivered two home runs in three games since being called up from the minors last week. The 25-year-old still owns a .192 batting average and a 43/10 K/BB ratio over 125 at-bats in the majors, but the Athletics appear content to use him in a platoon with the hot-hitting Brandon Moss at first base. Carter will see less at-bats since he's right-handed, but his pop gives him a chance to have some value the rest of the way.
Chris Tillman SP, Orioles
AL ONLY
(Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 1.4 percent)
Tillman was excellent in his season debut with the Orioles on Wednesday, taking a shutout into the ninth inning against the Mariners. He ended up allowing two unearned runs over 8 1/3 innings while striking out seven and walking just two. The 24-year-old right-hander has disappointed since coming over from the Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal, but he topped out at 97.2 mph on his fastball yesterday and averaged 95 mph. He had an average fastball velocity of 90.7 mph in his previous 37 major league starts. The O's sent him to Double-A after Wednesday's game to keep him on his regular turn, but he could be a nice sleeper for the second half.
David Phelps SP, Yankees
AL ONLY
(Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)
Phelps made a statement for a rotation spot on Wednesday by holding the Rays to one run on two hits over 4 1/3 innings while striking out eight. The 25-year-old right-hander now has a 3.05 ERA and 42/17 K/BB ratio over 41 1/3 innings with the Bombers this season, including a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings in three spot starts. There will only be one rotation spot available after CC Sabathia returns from the disabled list, but Phelps has made a pretty good case to bump Freddy Garcia back to mop-up duty.