2023 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Seth Lugo is Looking Sharp in the Padres Starting Rotation
If it feels like at least one of your players is going on the injured list every day, you're not alone. The injuries are already piling up in the early part of the fantasy baseball season. Hitting the waiver wire is key to keeping your team competitive
Top Waiver Wire Hitters
Chas McCormick, OF, Houston Astros (10% – Yahoo, 2.5% – ESPN)
McCormick was recently promoted to the lead off spot for the Astros and it's a valuable spot to be in. He's also been aggressive on the bases so far with three stolen bases in three attempts and has two home runs and seven RBIs in his first 27 at-bats.
Josh Lowe, OF, Tampa Bay Rays (5% – Yahoo, 1.6% – ESPN)
Lowe is off to a great start through his first six games, batting .357 with four doubles, three runs, one home run and five RBIs. More importantly, the strikeouts are way down with only three in 22 at-bats. Lowe will sit against most left-handers, but he has power and speed.
Brice Turang, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (32% – Yahoo, 13.6% – ESPN)
Turang has been playing every day and can be a replacement for those that lost Oneil Cruz. Turang makes good contact and has a 13.8% walk rate in his first 29 plate appearances. He had 13 home runs and 34 stolen bases in 131 games at Triple-A last season. Turang has one home run and two stolen bases in his first nine games.
Isaac Paredes, 1B/2B/3B, Tampa Bay Rays (37% – Yahoo, 24.3% – ESPN)
Paredes has been playing almost every day and usually bats third against left-handed pitchers. He has eligibility at three positions and has good power. He had 20 home runs in 381 at-bats last season and has two home runs and nine RBIs in his first nine games.
Akil Baddoo, OF, Detroit Tigers (3% – Yahoo, 0.4% – ESPN)
This is for deeper formats. Baddoo was called up with Austin Meadows out due to anxiety. Baddoo has hit lead off in his first two games and went 2-for-5 in each game. He was on fire at Triple-A with a 1.013 OPS in 28 at-bats after struggling last season with the Tigers. In his 2021 rookie season, Baddoo had 13 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 413 at-bats.
Top Waiver Wire Pitchers
Bryce Elder, SP, Atlanta Braves (39% – Yahoo, 13.7% – ESPN)
Elder has pitched well in his first start and is earning a spot in the rotation. He pitched six scoreless innings with two hits, three walks and six strikeouts in his first start against the Cardinals and pitched 6.1 scoreless innings and allowed six hits, one walk and struck out seven Monday against the Reds. Elder's next start is in Kansas City.
Seth Lugo, SP, San Diego Padres (39% – Yahoo, 30.9% – ESPN)
Lugo has pitched out of the bullpen with the Mets the last few seasons, but you would never know based on his first two starts with the Padres. Lugo threw 93 pitches in his first start and 109 in his second on Sunday. In 13 innings, he has allowed nine hits, two runs, four walks and struck out 12 for a 1.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. The Padres are using a six-man rotation for now.
Jose Alvarado, RP, Philadelphia Phillies (23% – Yahoo, 5.3% – ESPN)
The Phillies bullpen has been awful. Craig Kimbrel, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto each have an ERA of at least nine. Alvarado has been dominant and could be the closer soon. In four innings, Alvarado has allowed one hit, no walks and struck out 11. The last time Alvarado allowed a run in the regular season was August 23rd.
Kris Bubic, SP, Kansas City Royals, (10% – Yahoo, 2.3% – ESPN)
Trusting Royals pitchers in fantasy the last several seasons has ended well. Bubic has flashed before, but his first two starts have been impressive. In 11 innings pitched, he has allowed nine hits, two earned runs, one walk and struck out 13 against the Blue Jays and Giants. He had 19 swings and misses against the Giants on Sunday. Bubic showed the same ability to miss bats in the spring and his velocity is up.
Drey Jameson, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks (16% – Yahoo, 4% ESPN)
Zach Davies is on the injured list with an oblique injury and Jameson will take his spot in the rotation. Jameson has been pitching in long relief and has thrown 66, 38 and 26 pitches in his three appearances. Jameson can hit triple-digits with his fastball and his slider induces a lot of swings and misses.
Check out our list of the best, and most trusted sports betting and fantasy sports promo codes from the top legal sites in your state.
Related MLB Links:
- Fantasy Baseball Podcast
- Cash It Podcast
- MLB Injury Report
- MLB Lineups
- MLB Weather Center
- MLB Daily Projections
- MLB 2023 Statistics
- MLB Player News
Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.