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AVG
Miguel Rojas, SS, Marlins
Rojas did have to leave Sunday’s game against the Phillies because of a sore left trapezius muscle. It seems at this point to be a minor issue, but if it drags on obviously this pickup recommendation goes out the window. If Rojas is back in action soon, I like him as a solid source of batting average down the stretch. The veteran infielder has eight hits in his first four games in August and sports a nifty .283 average over his last three seasons with the Marlins.
HR
DJ Peters, OF, Rangers
The Rangers picked Peters up off waivers from the Dodgers last month and in 30 games with his new club he’s already banged out nine home runs. That includes a two-homer game on Sunday (his second since joining Texas), giving him six dingers in his previous 12 contests. The power doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s what Peters is known for, having averaged 26.3 home runs in his three full minor league seasons. Unfortunately, he’s also known for swinging and missing a ton, and so far with the Rangers Peters has an ugly 42/3 K/BB ratio. He’s just as, if not more, likely to slump in the final weeks than he is to continue his power binge, but if you’re the gambling type Peters is certainly capable of running into some taters.[[ad:athena]]
RBI
Bobby Bradley, 1B, Indians
Speaking of running into some taters, the hitting profiles of Peters and Bradley are fairly similar, with track records in the minors of plenty of long balls and plenty of strikeouts. Bradley returned from a knee injury a little over a week ago and has found himself in the cleanup spot for the Indians the last two games. He’s plated six runs in seven games since coming back and has a solid 31 RBI over 53 contests overall this season. Bradley should continue to hit in the middle of the Indians’ lineup against right-handers in the final weeks.
SB
Andres Gimenez, SS/2B, Indians
Of the two main pieces the Indians received from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor trade, most figured it would be Gimenez and not Amed Rosario who would churn out fantasy value this season. That hasn’t been the case, but Gimenez has a chance to close out the 2021 campaign on a strong note. The 23-year-old is 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts in 20 games since begin recalled last month and has swiped a bag in each of his last three tilts. Gimenez is now an impressive 18-for-19 in stolen base attempts across 280 plate appearances at the major league level, so he’s been running a lot and doing so successfully even as his offensive numbers have lagged.
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R
Lane Thomas, OF, Nationals
The Nationals acquired Thomas from the Cardinals at the trade deadline for Jon Lester and the 26-year-old has posted a blistering .328/.403/.567 batting line with three home runs, 10 RBI, one stolen base and 12 runs scored over 19 games with his new club. All three of his dingers have come this month, and he is 8-for-21 at the dish so far in September. Thomas has settled in as the Nats’ center fielder and leadoff hitter and should retain both roles down the stretch as the club sees whether he can play a role for them in 2022. It’s a lineup that’s lacking thump these days, but there should still be run-scoring opportunities for Thomas while he’s in the leadoff spot.
W
Luke Weaver, SP, Diamondbacks
Weaver returned from a 15-week absence due to a shoulder ailment with six sharp innings against the Padres last week, holding them to one run on four hits and no walks. The right-hander should have a good shot to keep the momentum going this week in an easier matchup versus the Rangers. Weaver has lacked consistency since joining the D-backs, pitching well for them in 2019 before struggling mightily in 2020. The 28-year-old represents a little upside that can be found on your waiver wire, though, and he gets to face a bad lineup this week.
ERA
Brady Singer, SP, Royals
To be honest, I had kind of written Singer off for 2021 after he battled a shoulder injury and then was knocked around in his first start back from the injured list. However, the former first-round pick has since reeled off a nice four-start run, boasting a 1.46 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 23/9 K/BB ratio over 24 2/3 frames. All four outings were against playoff contenders, too, as Singer faced the Astros twice and then the Mariners before he shut out the White Sox over seven innings Sunday. The right-hander’s velocity has been back up, too, after it had dipped prior to the injury.
WHIP
Joe Ryan, SP, Twins
Acquired from the Rays in the Nelson Cruz trade, Ryan has an excellent minor league track record, having put up a 2.67 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 326/53 K/BB ratio over 226 innings on the farm. He’s never earned high grades from scouts in spite of those numbers, mostly because he’s relied heavily on a fastball which, at first blush, isn’t overwhelming. The results are the results, though, and Ryan mostly pitched well in his debut last week versus the Cubs. He’s looking like a desirable streamer this week against the Indians.
K
Taylor Hearn, SP, Rangers
The Rangers had been using Hearn almost exclusively in relief prior to just a few weeks ago, but the left-hander has pitched well since being thrust into the rotation with a 3.80 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 18/2 K/BB ratio over 23 2/3 frames covering four starts. Hearn has been particularly impressive in his last two outings, pitching into the seventh inning against the Astros before completing a career-high seven frames versus the Angels on Sunday. He also didn’t walk a batter in either of those starts, which is key for a guy whose control has often abandoned him. Hearn is a big lefty who throws hard and who has a history of missing bats. He faces the reeling Athletics next.
SV
Rowan Wick, RP, Cubs
Wick didn’t make his season debut until less than a month ago after he dealt with a nagging intercostal strain which featured multiple setbacks. He’s quickly been elevated to a high-leverage relief role, though, and looks like the best bet for saves on the Cubs moving forward. Each of the team’s last four traditional saves chances have gone to Wick, who has converted three of them while striking out 15 over his 11 2/3 innings of work. Save opportunities could dry up a bit as the Cubs’ schedule toughens up, but the team has played well of late and Wick is pitching well.
