I’d planned to implore you all this week, yet again, to add Jung-ho Kang for the stretch run. Unfortunately, Kang suffered a torn MCL on a nasty collision in the field on Thursday. He’ll need at least six months to rehab the injury and could miss a significant chunk of time at the start of next season. It’s a disappointing end to a great first year in the States. Here’s hoping he heals quickly.

That said, there are still plenty of players on the wire who can help your fantasy squad. Let’s talk about a few of them, shall we?

Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for first base and third base, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.

First Base / Third Base Waiver Wire for Week 25

Brett Lawrie (2B/3B, OAK) – 49 percent owned

In his debut season with the Athletics, Lawrie has managed to avoid the disabled list for the first time in his major league career. His overall numbers are still disappointing relative to the expectations placed on him after his coming out party in 2011, but are more or less in line with his career totals. Most importantly for our purposes, he’s swinging a hot bat lately. Over the last month, Lawrie’s hit five homers, totaled 30 R+RBI, and posted a .961 OPS. He likely isn’t available in deeper leagues, but in shallower formats, he can provide a big boost.

Stephen Piscotty (1B/OF, STL) – 35 percent

With both Matt Holliday and Randal Grichuk limited to pinch-hitting duties for the moment, Piscotty should continue to be the everyday left fielder for the Cardinals. He’s also seeing time at first base, and just gained eligibility there in Yahoo leagues. Wherever he slots in the field, Piscotty has certainly earned the job, hitting .316/.362/.489 since being promoted to the majors. He’s only hit four home runs, but has been a solid source of runs and RBI.

Jonathan Schoop (2B/3B, BAL) – 13 percent

Schoop is currently working on a 10-game hitting streak, which includes three of his 14 homers this season. Those have come in just 260 at-bats, putting him on a 30 HR pace for a full season. Of course, this isn’t anything new – Schoop went deep 16 times as a rookie. What makes this season different, and encouraging, is that he’s getting on base at a decent clip. After posting a hideous .244 OBP last year, his current mark checks in at .321. His plate discipline hasn’t changed much, but Schoop is making much better contact this season and should be able to maintain at least some of the gains he’s made going forward.

Greg Bird (1B, NYY) – 7 percent

We talked about Bird last week, but his ownership rate hasn’t changed since then. It’s tough to understand why, as he’s posted an .859 OPS with seven homers and 36 R+RBI in the last month of action. Mark Teixeira has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the season, so Bird will continue to be the man at first base for the Yankees.

C.J. Cron (1B, LAA) – 6 percent

Since he started getting regular playing time in July, Cron has hit a dozen homers in just 205 at-bats and posted a .307/.366/.542 slash line. The Angels are all but out of the playoff race because most of his teammates have been terrible in the second half, . Still, Cron can help your fantasy team’s quest for a championship.

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