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.
With Roenis Elias (elbow) expected to be done for the season, the Mariners will give Taijuan Walker another shot in the rotation. Walker has made just three starts for the M’s this season, but he holds a 3.60 ERA and has struck out 14 over 15 frames in those outings and boasts a 2.96 ERA overall in the bigs in 2014. With a juicy matchup against the Astros Friday and likely another start next week, Walker is worth scooping up in leagues where he’s available.
