Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups: Mid-Week Fantasy Baseball Adds for Week 23

September 2, 2026

Dan analyzes six must-add fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, mid-week adds for Week 23 of the 2026 MLB season. Grab these players ASAP off the waiver wire.

Greetings, RotoBallers, and welcome to the latest mid-week edition of Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for fantasy baseball. Labor Day weekend is just ahead, which means there are only a few weeks left on the baseball calendar. For managers in head-to-head leagues, your playoffs are about to begin (if they haven’t already), and those in rotisserie leagues are likely checking the standings on a daily basis.

This weekend, we will turn to the youth for some help on offense. A few recent call-ups from Minnesota and Texas are off to solid starts and can pad your stats at the end of the week. On the pitching side, one streamer offers low risk to your ratios (but might lack strikeout potential), and another can get you some punchouts (but has a history of being more volatile). And there is another reliever who has been racking up saves while filling in for an injured teammate.

The marathon that is the fantasy baseball calendar is nearing its end. Teams in contention for a championship should be as focused as ever on finding the players that will give them a late push. There is an abundance of resources at RotoBaller’s MLB hub, but first, here are my Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 23 of fantasy baseball.

2026 Fantasy Baseball: Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds

Keider Montero, SP/RP, Detroit Tigers
32% Rostered

The Tigers have shuttled pitcher Keider Montero back and forth between the rotation and bullpen through the early summer. Injuries and trades have left Detroit short on starting pitching, giving Montero an opening back into the rotation, which he has held since July 22.

Montero has a 3-3 record in his seven starts since rejoining the starting five. He has only 22 strikeouts in 38.1 innings pitched during that time frame, but also has a 3.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. On the season, he has a 5.6% walk rate, 3.24 ERA, and 0.99 WHIP. Even if his low strikeout rate leaves something to be desired, he will be a help in ratio categories and gets deep enough into games to contend for wins.

This weekend Montero will have a start against the Guardians. When he last faced Cleveland, on August 13, Montero threw 6.1 shutout innings and allowed just three hits and one walk. Looking to the week ahead, Montero’s next start would be at home against the Twins or the Rockies, making him a comfortable option in all 12-team leagues.

Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins
20% Rostered

The top prospect in Minnesota’s system and MLB Pipeline’s No. 14 prospect overall, Walker Jenkins made his big-league debut on August 28. The 21-year-old is 3-for-16 through his first five games, but has already nabbed his first stolen base and hit his first home run as a major leaguer. He also has four runs and three RBI.

Before his promotion, Jenkins was slashing .308/.407/.532 with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. In 69 games at St. Paul, he tallied 12 home runs, 28 RBI, 51 runs, and 17 stolen bases, and had a 13.7% walk rate to a 15.6% strikeout rate. Jenkins demonstrated solid plate discipline through the minor leagues, consistently posting low O-Swing and swinging-strike rates and high contact rates.

Jenkins figures to be the Twins’ everyday center fielder while Byron Buxton (hip) is on the injured list with no timetable for a return. Jenkins will be most likely to help in runs and stolen bases, but has enough pop to collect a few home runs down the stretch, too. The Twins play six games next week, featuring three-game sets in Detroit and at home against Cleveland.

Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Minnesota Twins
15% Rostered

Jenkins is not the only lauded prospect that the Twins have brought up recently. Minnesota promoted shortstop Kaelen Culpepper on August 7, and his MLB career is off to a hot start. Culpepper hit a home run in his second MLB at-bat and, since August 13, has worked as the Twins’ everyday shortstop. He has hit safely in 15 of the 17 games since then, and now has a .320 batting average, three home runs, nine RBI, and 11 runs scored.

Like Jenkins, Culpepper is a well-rounded prospect who has the potential to help across the board. He has yet to swipe a bag in the MLB, but it is in his repertoire, as evidenced by the 17 bases he stole in his 74 games this year with the Triple-A Saints. Culpepper is a worthy add for any team in need of a new shortstop.

Fantasy Baseball Deep League Targets: Mid-Week Waiver Wire Adds

Yusei Kikuchi, SP, Los Angeles Angels
9% Rostered

Before landing on the injured list in late April, Yusei Kikuchi was regularly getting throttled. Kikuchi gave up four or more earned runs in four of the seven starts he made to begin the season. Left shoulder inflammation sent him to the IL for nearly four months, and he returned to the team on August 23. That start went as well as his early-season performances, and he was tagged for seven hits (including two home runs) and five earned runs in five innings of work.

Kikuchi looked better in the second start of his return. The 35-year-old lefty gave up another two home runs, both solo shots, but made it through seven innings and struck out six. Kikuchi is still looking for his first win of 2026, and might find it this weekend against the Pirates as they have been particularly vulnerable against left-handed pitching this season.

Against southpaws, the Pirates have struck out at a league-worst 26.4% clip and posted a .302 wOBA against them (versus a .334 mark against righties, second-best in MLB). What’s more, Pittsburgh’s offense has been on a backslide lately. Over the last two weeks, they have the highest strikeout rate in the league (29.5%), third-lowest team batting average (.203), and the second-lowest run total (31).

Kikuchi is very volatile, but when he dials in, he can rack up strikeouts and push deep into games, keeping him in contention for a win. I’ll take a chance on Kikuchi to bring in a handful of strikeouts and a win based on the favorable matchup this weekend against an inconsistent Pittsburgh offense in deeper 12+ team leagues.

Andrew Kittredge, RP, Baltimore Orioles
9% Rostered

In the absence of Felix Bautista (shoulder) and Ryan Helsley (elbow), the Orioles have employed a committee to close out games. Lately, it seems that Andrew Kittredge has taken the lead role in the group that also includes Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano. Thanks to a home run-robbing catch by Colton Cowser on August 31, Kittredge logged his third save in a six-game span, giving him five in August and nine on the season.

Be warned that Kittredge’s peripheral stats are something of an anomaly. The 36-year-old’s 41.5% chase rate is in the 100th percentile, but his strikeout rate sits at just 18.5%. His 6.2% walk rate and 5.5% barrel rate inspire hope, but his .265 batting average against (and .307 BABIP) have led to a 1.36 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting just .200 off Kittredge’s slider, but have no trouble at all with his sinker and four-seamer.

This late in the season, if I am close to leapfrogging an opponent in saves, I’ll take them wherever I can get them. If Kittredge shows signs of trouble, I can move on to someone else. Anyone willing to invest in him should also stash Bautista, who is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk and is rostered in just 5% of leagues on Yahoo.

Cody Freeman, 2B/3B, Texas Rangers
1% Rostered

Back injuries have cost Rangers infielder Cody Freeman a significant portion of the 2026 season. Freeman started the year on the injured list due to a stress fracture in his lower back and was shelved again in late June with a herniated disc. Freeman was activated on August 4 and sent to Triple-A, but was called back up to the majors on August 14. Since he rejoined his parent club, Freeman has hit .319 with six runs scored and six RBI in 15 games.

Freeman doesn’t offer much in the way of power or speed, but has good plate discipline. Freeman doesn’t swing-and-miss often and has high contact rates throughout his minor league career, which should make him a useful addition for teams looking to boost their batting average. If he can keep hitting as he has, he should continue contributing runs, even at the bottom of the Rangers’ order.

Freeman should be a regular presence in Texas’ lineup until Josh Jung (calf) returns from the injured list. Jung was recently cleared for baseball activities and could begin a rehab assignment soon. Freeman is limited in what he can bring to the table, but his potential to help keep a fantasy team’s batting average afloat and multi-position eligibility makes him a decent stopgap until a more attractive option comes along.

Other Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Targets

• Mauricio Dubon, ATL
• Jacob Lopez, ATH
• Marcus Semien, NYM
• Sam Antonacci, CHW
• Bryan Abreu, HOU
• Carlos Correa, HOU
• Angel Martinez, CLE
• Matt Shaw, CHC
• Lazaro Montes, SEA

More Fantasy Baseball Advice