Jake Westbrook Tops April 16th Starting Pitchers from Waiver Wire

If you’re looking on the waiver wire for starting pitchers, check out these four nice options led by St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jake Westbrook (35) who is scheduled to face the Pirates on Tuesday. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

If Monday’s fantasy baseball results have got you down and your ERA and WHIP up, don’t worry there’s still plenty of time to make the moves you need to rebound and finish the week strong. If you’ve in the market for a starting pitcher there are some strong options available for Tuesday. Many of these starters also will start on Sunday making them worth a look if you’re trying to fill a roster spot for the rest of the week, or just trying to plug a hole for their one start today. All the options listed below are available in at least half of ESPN leagues at the start of the day on Monday.

Depending on your team needs and league scoring, start with these options for Tuesday:

Starting Pitchers to Consider for Tuesday

Jake Westbrook-St. Louis Cardinals: (11.8% ownership in ESPN leagues) Off to a fantastic start, Westbrook hast yet to allow a run in his first two outings spanning 15 2/3 innings. His last time out he threw a complete game shutout against the Reds as the Cards romped 10-0. Tuesday night he’ll make his second road start of the season as he faces the Pirates. Pittsburgh has been hitting well, but Westbrook has already dealt well with the Reds and Giants. Another reason why Westbrook is a nice play is that he’s scheduled to be opposed by Jonathan Sanchez who comes in 0-2 with a 12.96 ERA. If the key stat for you is wins and you can sacrifice strikeouts, Westbrook is the top option.

Apr 11, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Griffin (64) during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

A.J. Griffin-Oakland Athletics: (17.5%) Griffin has looked solid in his first two starts allowing a total of three runs to the Angels and Mariners in his 14 innings pitched. He doesn’t get many strikeouts (just five so far this year), but if you need innings and results Griffin is in a tasty matchup with the light-hitting Astros in Oakland as one of the 10:05 starts on Tuesday night. As former A Dennis Eckersley would be quick to point out, he’s definitely got the “moss” to be an effective pitcher for you. Griffin should be good for a W if he has another solid start Tuesday.

Jeremy Guthrie-Kansas City Royals: (28.2%) Guthrie escaped with a win to move to 2-0 his last outing despite giving up three home runs resulting in four earned runs on six hits and a walk while only striking out two. In his first start he struck out nine, and should be ready to contribute another solid start in Atlanta Tuesday. The Braves have started the year playing lights out baseball and will send Kris Medlen to the mound to oppose Guthrie. A win may be a bit optimistic, but a solid ERA and WHIP contribution should make Guthrie a feasible option.

Apr 9, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Travis Wood (37) pitchs against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Wood-Chicago Cubs: (4.9%) The Cubs have gotten two quality starts from Wood and have ended up winning both games. Wood has emerged with a 1-0 record along with a 1.46 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .182 against hime and he has 10 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. If you need strikeouts, he’s one of the better options as he and Chicago face the Rangers Tuesday night at Wrigley. Wood will be opposed by Derek Holland who comes in 0-1 despite a 2.40 ERA. The Rangers aren’t the basher-filled lineup of recent years, so Wood is a decent start if you’re looking for overall numbers across the board.

Results from the Past Week

Here’s how my picks have fared over the past seven days: