Fantasy Baseball: Waiver Wire Pitching Pickups, 5/4/13

One of the starting pitchers you should take a look at on the waiver wire for Saturday starts is Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tommy Hanson who here pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re a fantasy baseball owner looking for a weekend boost, Saturday’s 15-game slate has some solid options to help you get innings, wins, strikeouts, and WHIP/ERA help. This week’s been a rough one for many of the “fringe” options, but this Saturday there are five options owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues that you should consider adding. Here they are:

Possible Pickups

Tommy Hanson-Los Angeles Angels: (24.0%) After a rough start to the year, Hason has put back-to-back quality starts up going six innings in each while allowing a total of two runs on 11 hits and striking out eight in 12 innings. Hanson and the Halos take on the Orioles who have a potent lineup so it’s not a great matchup, but they are in Anaheim and he’ll be opposed by Freddy Garcia in his first MLB start of the year. Hanson will look to get his third win of the year and should be able to if the Angels lineup can get some run support for him on Saturday afternoon.

Apr 23, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kevin Correia (30) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Correia-Minnesota Twins: (10.7%) The Indians bats are suddenly heating up and it’s up to Correia to cool them off on Saturday. He’s been a very solid option for the Twins so far this season and is coming off his best performance holding the Rangers scoreless for eight innings while allowing six hits and a walk. His strikeout numbers are underwhelming (15 in 36.1 innings) but he can help you on Saturday if he can keep his ground ball rate up and keep the Tribe in the yard. He’ll  be opposed in this one by Scott Kazmir who is 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA.

Jose Quintana-Chicago White Sox: (28.5%) Quintana struggled his last outing in Texas but will look to bounce back as Chicago visits KC. He’ll be opposed by Royals starter Wade Davis who has had his own recent struggles. Quintana has a solid 3.58 ERA on the year with a 2-0 record. He was 0-1 last year against the Royals in his three starts against them, but makes a decent bounceback candidate from the wire if you need wins or some WHIP/ERA help.

Apr 12, 2013; Washington, D.C., USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Julio Teheran (49) pitches in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. The Braves defeated the Nationals 6 – 4 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Julio Teheran-Atlanta Braves: (10.2%) Teheran allowed only two runs in his last start despite giving up 10 hits to the Nats in 5.1 innings. He was coming off his best start of the year as he held the Rockies to a run in seven innings in his previous start. Atlanta has won all five of his starts this year which is how he can be 1-0 with a 5.48 ERA. The Braves bats will be up against Jonathon Niese and the Mets, but I think Teheran should be able to get you a win if you can afford a possible WHIP/ERA hit.

Past Performance

Here’s how things have gone for the past week: