BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 42% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: TJ Friedl had a breakout season in 2023, playing in more than 100 MLB games for the first time in his career despite being 27 years old. He hit .279-18-66-73-27 in 138 games with a .353 wOBA and 116 wRC+. A wrist injury that occurred on a diving catch in the outfield sidetracked him two weeks before the regular season. He landed on the IL until Thursday when he began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lousiville. The lefty went 1-for-3 with a double off the wall and a walk in that first rehab game.
Terry Lee Friedl!
103.9 mph off the bat.
Beautiful site. #Reds pic.twitter.com/X5kL6M9ITA
— Bryce Spalding (@bryce_spalding) May 3, 2024
Assuming he'll need at least a week's worth of games on the rehab assignment, he probably joins the Reds sometime around mid-May. So what can managers expect? With above-average bat-to-ball skills (83.4% Contact%), count on a decent batting average, and with his base-stealing acumen managers should expect another 20 stolen bases the rest of the way. A repeat of his 18-homer campaign was probably going to be a tall order based on his 3.2% Barrel% from last season, but perhaps a little more unlikely now due to the fact that his injury was to his wrist. Think 12-ish homers once he returns.
Friedl is a hustler, so despite an xBA of .240 last season he will beat out some infield hits based on pure hustle which will help support an actual BA above his xBA all season long. The 28-year-old hit up and down the lineup last season but 78% of his plate appearances came from the leadoff or two-hole spot in the lineup. Assuming that'll be the case upon his return, it should support strong run-scoring production, especially with the likes of Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer hitting behind him. Friedl is available in almost 60% of Yahoo leagues but is worth at least a bench spot in most 12-team leagues.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
Erick Fedde - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 9)
BALLER MOVE: Add in all formats ROSTERED IN: 45% of Leagues ANALYSIS: One of the few bright spots for the White Sox this season has been the performance of Erick Fedde. After spending 2023 pitching in the Korean league, Fedde returned to MLB this season with a revamped arsenal of pitches and better command of... Read More
Taj Bradley - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 9)
BALLER MOVE: Add in all formats ROSTERED IN: 43% of Leagues ANALYSIS: After suffering an injury during training camp that cost him the first month and a half of the season, Taj Bradley is back in the Tampa Bay rotation and looks great through his first two starts. Bradley was a popular sleeper pick late... Read More
Jalen Beeks - Closers and Saves Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 9)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 12% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Justin Lawrence was the Rockies closer to begin the season, but after a few rough outings and a stint on the paternity list, Jalen Beeks was given a chance to close out games and has seemingly run away with the job. Earlier... Read More
Christian Scott - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 9)
BALLER MOVE: Add in all formats ROSTERED IN: 45% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Mets rookie Christian Scott is off to a tremendous start in his big league career through two starts. The 24-year-old right-hander has an impressive 2.84 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 12 2/3 innings while striking out 14 hitters. After dominating at Triple-A for... Read More
Ricky Tiedemann - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 9)
BALLER MOVE: Stash in Deeper Leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: If you held on to Ricky Tiedemann hoping for a fairly quick return to the mound, that's not going to be the case. The update on May 7 was that he's still a couple of weeks away from throwing off a mound. After that, he'll likely... Read More
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!