The injury bug has a voracious appetite in 2014, as the Tampa Bay Rays have lost one of the most promising young pitchers in baseball, Matt Moore, for a lengthy period. Multiple reports have said Moore will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, plopping him on the disabled list along with fellow Alex Cobb and Jeremy Hellickson.
Moore's injury could also be potentially devastating to fantasy owners who were willing to live with his WHIP issues so that they could pile up strikeouts and get wins. Here are some waiver wire replacements that might tide owners over.
Erik Bedard, Tampa Bay Rays (1 percent owned)
Bedard's a fine place to start, even if he's not a great pitcher. He will be taking Moore's spot in the rotation, and if you can absorb some blow ups Bedard may actually be a good source of strikeouts. He is 10-26 over his last two MLB seasons, so he might be the type of pitcher you stash for a bit to see if trends emerge, but in good matchups he'll help make up some of those missing whiffs.
Erik Johnson, Chicago White Sox (17 percent owned)
Johnson's off to a tough start with an ERA over 9.00, which has led to mass drops. That's in your favor, because he's a young guy with promise, a track record of strikeouts in the minors, and a FIP under 4.00. He's got an insanely high BABIP (.452) which should eventually regress, and he has posted a 52.4 percent ground ball rate. Things will get better.
Wei-Yin Chen, Baltimore Orioles (27 percent owned)
Chen isn't a flashy pickup by any means, and he won't be able to replace the bevy of K's that come with owning Moore. What he will do, however, is pitch for a good team that will give him run support, limit his walks, and apparently induce ground balls. Chen's ERA is not reflective of how he's actually pitching-his FIP stands at 2.84 while his ERA is an unattractive 4.76 ERA. That's what you call bargain shopping. Remember, you're picking him up for what he'll do, not what he's done. Snag Chen, who has 15-win upside and looks like he'll be consistent.
Scott Feldman, Houston Astros (56 percent owned)
Feldman's ownership is a bit higher than I shoot for in these columns, but he's just not owned enough. At just 56 percent, there's a real good shot he's available in your league. It's true he won't get many wins on a team as putrid as the 'Stros, but Feldman's been lights-out for three straight starts. The advanced metrics aren't pretty, and his BABIP and strand rates are unsustainable, but after the initial correction Feldman's ground-ball inducing ways could make him decent filler for the back end of your staff.
Jarred Cosart, Houston Astros (30 percent owned)
I must be crazy highlighting two Astros in a fantasy baseball article, but Cosart could be a stud. He showed big strikeout potential in the minors, and struck out eight Rangers over seven innings in his most recent start. Walks were his bug-a-boo in the minors, but he's walked two or fewer in two of his first three starts in 2014. Cosart, like Feldman, won't be a reliable source of wins. He might have ace-like potential though, and if he realizes some of it this year you'll want it on your squad.
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