Waiver Watch - Wednesday Edition
Here are three players to target in season-long fantasy leagues:
SP Anthony DeSclafani, Reds
An oblique injury forced DeSclafani to open the season on the disabled list; he has now made four appearances, allowing no more than two earned runs in any of them, with three quality starts. The 26-year-old looks to be building on the promise he had heading into 2016, and is coming off his best outing of the season, an eight-inning, five-hit shutout of the Padres.
While he has the misfortune of playing his home games at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark, he has been successful there thus far, allowing just one earned run over 14 innings. He also recorded a road win over the Rangers in which he allowed two earned runs over seven innings.
Predominately a groundball pitcher, DeSclafani has allowed 0.86 home runs per nine innings over 48 major-league games.
The Reds don't seem to be holding back with their young arm, as he has thrown over 100 pitches in three of his four games this season, making him a safe bet to reach the threshold needed for quality starts and decreasing the likelihood that the team's shaky bullpen coughs up would-be wins.
RP Xavier Cedeno, Rays
Cedeno appears to be next in line for save chances in Tampa Bay after Alex Colome was placed on the 15-day DL with a biceps injury. Colome has recorded 19 saves on the season, and with Brad Boxberger (41 saves in 2015) also sidelined, the ninth-inning role would seem to be Cedeno's.
A left-hander, Cedeno holds a 3.91 ERA through 25 1/3 innings, though an FIP of 2.76 suggests he's been somewhat let down by his defense. He has struck out 8.90 batters per nine innings in his major-league career, and he's in line with that mark this season.
The Rays have lost 12 of their last 13 games, but the immediate schedule turns friendlier after Wednesday's finale with the Red Sox; they have eight straight home games against the Tigers and Angels. Owners looking for saves on the waiver wire should turn their attention to Cedeno, assuming St. Louis' Seung Hwan Oh is unavailable.
OF Travis Jankowski, Padres
While the 25-year-old Jankowski has been on San Diego's roster all season long, his playing time was sporadic until a recent forearm injury to Jon Jay. Prior to being left out of the starting lineup on Tuesday, Jankowski had started six straight games, collecting seven hits, five runs scored and five stolen bases while assuming Jay's leadoff role.
Given that Jay wasn't widely owned in mixed leagues, Jankowski may only be suitable for use in NL-only formats. The 44th overall pick in the 2012 draft isn't without his flaws, namely little power and a high strikeout rate (28.1 per cent through 192 MLB plate appearances), but his speed can be a fantasy asset, particularly if he stays in the leadoff role with Jay sidelined until mid-August.