Welcome to Pickup of the Day, where every weekday we'll pick an under-the-radar player whose immediate value is on the rise. The idea here is to identify a starter who can give you some solid innings off the scrap heap, a talented backup who's been given a chance because of a starter's injury, an unheralded regular with a favorable matchup, or a potential breakout player who's starting to put it together. Unlike regular waiver-wire advice, Pickup of the Day is geared more towards interim success, but hopefully we'll have the intuition to help you snag a waiver-wire gem a few times this season.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura wouldn’t name a closer prior to Tuesday’s game after the club placed Matt Lindstrom (ankle) on the disabled list. However, he tipped his hand a bit when he suggested that he had options among guys who were pitching well. Considering that Ronald Belisario entered the game with a 0.00 ERA over his last 17 1/3 innings, there’s no doubt the veteran reliever was on the skipper’s mind. And, sure enough, it was Belisario that received the first save chance Tuesday in Lindstrom’s absence, giving up a run but surviving to nail down a win versus the Royals. Belisario is no safe bet, but saves are saves and he’s the best bet for them with the Pale Hose right now.