Yes, this past one was a tough one for Major League pitchers. Kyle Bradish and Robert Gasser are done for 2024, while Jesus Luzardo is expected to miss the next month thanks to a back injury. So, who could be potential replacements? With Week 13 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season around the corner, here are five pitchers worth targeting on the waiver wire.
Chad Green
We’ll start our Week 13 pitchers waiver wire target list with Blue Jays reliever Chad Green. This one is simple; the Blue Jays are down Jordan Romano and Yimi Garcia, and manager John Schneider stated this past week that Green would be the team’s interim closer. The veteran reliever has a 1.72 ERA and two saves this season.
Green is worth a look for those in need of relievers. The big question. However, how many save chances will he get amidst a tough stretch for Toronto? From June 12 through June 22, the Blue Jays lost seven of nine games played in that stretch.
Clayton Kershaw
Ordinarily, we wouldn’t put someone who’s owned in nearly 60% of Yahoo! leagues on this list. However, Clayton Kershaw is an exception and for a specific reason. Kershaw, who re-signed with the Dodgers again this past winter, missed all of 2024 to this point recovering from shoulder surgery. He’s on the way back and in his first rehab outing on June 19, Kershaw struck out five and yielded just one run over three innings.
Assuming he needs the full 30-day window, Kershaw would be an option for the Dodgers after the All-Star Game. The Dodgers could use him now given injuries to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler but that’s not happening. But from a fantasy perspective, anyone who can should pick up Kershaw.
UPDATE (6/22): Kershaw felt soreness after his rehab start, per manager Dave Roberts. It’s unknown whether Kershaw will make his next rehab outing on June 25. The team is considering pushing it back, depending on how he feels over the next few days.
Tobias Myers
Amidst a rash of injuries to Milwaukee’s pitching staff, the Brewers have received quality innings from unlikely sources. However, arguably the biggest surprise of the past month in baseball is Tobias Myers. From June 1 through June 22, no pitcher in baseball (min. 15 IP) has a lower ERA (0.44) than Myers, who struck out 15 and allowed just eight hits over 20.1 IP in that stretch.
It’s been quite the run for the rookie righty, who was a good prospect in the Rays system before Tampa traded him for a young Junior Caminero almost three years ago. Myers stumbled in Double and Triple-A in 2022-23 but it’s been a different story in 2024. Myers has fooled hitters with his slider and changeup and induced whiffs upstairs with a four-seamer with an incredibly high carry (19.6” IVB).
Spencer Schwellenbach
The Braves have received strong results from rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, who’s begun to put himself on the fantasy radar. Schwellenbach’s recorded quality starts in his last two outings, including on June 18 when he picked up his first career MLB win.
The right-hander can dial it up to the upper-90s with his fastball, and give hitters different looks with his cutter, curveball, and slider. And given his presence on a good Braves team, Schwellenbach should be an interesting fantasy asset moving forward.
Michael Wacha
Royals starter Michael Wacha made his first start in almost a month on June 22 and pitched very well despite Kansas City losing 6-0. Wacha struck out five over five innings, continuing a stretch in which he’s allowed two or fewer runs in his last five starts dating back to May 14.
Wacha’s changeup has been effective for the righty yet again this season and that’s a good sign for fantasy owners.