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.
Lorenzo Cain went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the Royals' loss to the Blue Jays on Sunday, but he's still hitting .328/.376/.426 on the year and should soon begin working his way up the struggling Kansas City batting order. Cain has a bit of pop and very good speed, making him a worthwhile third outfielder in deeper mixed fantasy leagues even if the slash line begins to regress. The 28-year-old once stole 34 bases in a minor league season, and he once hit 16 homers too.