FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
Ha-Seong Kim (SS Rays): Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues
Originally hoping for a mid-May return from shoulder surgery, Kim finally made it back on July 4, which was more than five weeks after he initially started a Triple-A rehab assignment. That assignment, which was paused in mid-June because of a minor hamstring problem, saw him hit .208/.352/.250 in 91 plate appearances, causing a great deal of doubt over whether Kim was going to be his usual self in his first weeks and months back from surgery. Four games later, those concerns have already been alleviated.
In 21 games at Triple-A Durham, Kim managed just three extra-base hits, a 23% hard-hit rate, an average exit velocity of 83.9 mph and a high of 105.1 mph. In four major league games, he’s already topped 105.1 on four occasions, peaking at 107.0 mph. His homer Thursday off Walker Buehler checked in at 106.4 mph. Six of his 10 balls in play have been hit hard. The shoulder isn’t holding him back.
Kim isn’t going to be a major offensive force, but he might do a little better in the friendlier hitting environment in Tampa than he did in Petco, and he should steal quite a few bases. He was 6-for-6 in that regard on his rehab assignment, and he’s already tried two in his first four games back, though he was thrown out once. He should wind up with about 15 steals and solid numbers elsewhere, making him worth rostering in even the shallowest of leagues.
Joe Boyle (SP Rays): Rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues
Boyle, recalled to pitch behind Drew Rasmussen last Sunday, doesn’t yet have a spot in Tampa Bay’s rotation, but it’s only a matter of time. His two major league appearances this season have seen him allow a total of two hits in 10 innings, and he’s yet to give up earned run. In Triple-A, he had a 1.84 ERA and a 96/31 K/BB in 73 innings. He’s still not exactly a strike thrower, but the walks aren’t so costly when they’re paired with stuff like this.
The Rays got Boyle from the A’s over the winter as the primary return in the Jeffrey Springs trade and introduced him to a splitter as a replacement for a poor changeup. He’s quickly taken to it, and he’s been throwing it 91-94 mph to go along with his 96-100 mph heater. His slider remains his No. 2 pitch, and it’s awfully tough to hit, but he often fails to locate it well. He’s more around the strike zone with the splitter, and now hitters can’t be sure they’re going to get the fastball when he’s behind in the count.
It’d be nice if there was a stricter plan for Boyle. Not only do the Rays have a full rotation at the moment, but they could also get Shane McClanahan back at the end of the month. Still, Drew Rasmussen has an innings limit, and Taj Bradley is sporting a 4.60 ERA. Something will give. The Rays might even trade a starter in the hopes of getting help elsewhere. Boyle needs to be very much a part of the team’s plan for the second half, and he has too much upside to leave in free agent pools.
Brice Matthews (SS Astros): Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues
Matthews won’t get to take part in the Futures Game this weekend, but it’s because he’ll be in the majors instead; the Astros gave their 2023 first-round pick and probable No. 1 position player prospect his first callup Friday after he hit .283/.400/.476 in 325 plate appearances for Triple-A Sugar Land.
What’s unclear is whether Matthews is up to stay. Although he’s listed at shortstop above, he’s been used mostly at second in Triple-A, and all of his MLB playing time should come at second. The Astros hope to get Jeremy Peña back right after the break. They also have Chas McCormick rehabbing and a couple of other injured players perhaps returning before the end of the month. Still, second base is mostly unclaimed in Houston. Jose Altuve has been playing there a lot more since Peña went down, but his defensive numbers remain rough, which is why the Astros wanted him in left field in the first place. Mauricio Dubón has been very good of late, but he’s still probably best utilized as a utilityman. If Matthews starts off well, the Astros will be tempted to keep him up.
That’s not to say Matthews is necessarily ready. The Triple-A line is very good, but he’s still striking out 30 percent of the time. That number could climb to over 35 percent in the majors, which would make it very difficult for him to hit for average. Still, he’s shown improved power this year, he’s always taken plenty of walks and, with 25 steals in 31 attempts this year, he’s an asset on the basepaths when he reaches. That speed gives him ample fantasy potential. Most likely, it won’t be realized until 2026, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
- The Red Sox have given Romy González a much-deserved chance against right-handers the last two days, and he deserves a long look, particularly given that Abraham Toro is the current alternative at first base. He could offer some mixed-league value as a regular, especially since he’d likely do more running. All four of his steals this season have come versus righties. Even though he’s been on base more often against lefties in his career, he has a far easier time stealing against righties, having gone 15-for-17 against them and 7-for-11 against lefties in essentially one full season of playing time (606 plate appearances).
- The Diamondbacks had to put another closer on the IL after Shelby Miller was diagnosed with a strained forearm. That probably makes Kevin Ginkel worth a try in deeper leagues, even with his 8.57 ERA. Ginkel got roughed up in his first two appearances back from the minors last month, but he’s allowed two runs over nine innings since. With his velocity down about one mph, he’ll probably continue to get hit a little harder than usual, but, you know, saves.
