Available arms top latest round of fantasy priority pickups

If the paternity list didn’t make a mess of your fantasy roster this week, then the IL probably did. These are challenging times. We have a few recommended adds to help patch your damaged squad, beginning with a widely available pitcher who's been piling up Ks.

José Soriano, Los Angeles Angels (7% rostered)

Soriano has transitioned to a starting role after pitching exclusively out of the bullpen for the Angels last season, and the move appears to suit him just fine. He’s struck out 19 batters over his last 15 innings, thanks to a deep and vicious arsenal that includes 99 mph heat and a 94 mph splitter. Here’s a sample of his stuff:

It is simply incomprehensible that any human can hit Major League pitching. Just a completely unrelatable skill. Goodness.

Command is definitely an issue for Soriano (12.5 BB%), but his arm is electric. His next start is against the Twins this weekend, so it’s a great opportunity to test-drive him.

Joel Payamps, RP, Milwaukee Brewers (45%)

This will serve as last call on the guy who was initially believed to be Milwaukee’s closer, but then he wasn’t ... but now he is, mostly. Payamps has earned three saves, one hold and a win in his last five appearances, his WHIP is now 0.75 and he’s struck out nine batters in 10 2/3 innings. Don’t leave him unattached, people. He was excellent last season in a setup role (1.05 WHIP, 9.8 K/9) and he’s excellent again.

Let the record show that it was actually Trevor Megill (4% rostered), not Payamps, who recorded Thursday's save. He's obviously in the pickup conversation, too, and his strikeout potential is significant.

Wilyer Abreu, OF, Boston Red Sox (43%)

Abreu has been on a remarkable tear, going 12-for-24 with two homers, five runs scored and eight RBIs over his last six games. He's landed in a privileged spot in Boston's lineup, hitting cleanup lately, and he's absolutely thriving. Obviously, we can't promise the raking will continue at the recent cartoonish rate, but his Minor League track record suggests solid pop, speed and on-base skills. He has four steals for the Red Sox so far this year and he's swiped as many as 31 bags in a season in the Minors, back in 2022. Surely a dude with his profile can help your fantasy squad while he's scorching hot.

Joey Loperfido, Util, Houston Astros (12%)

It's getting kind of awkward at this point, seeing Loperfido crush at Triple-A while the Astros have a big old can't-miss-it hole in their Major League lineup. Loperfido launched his 11th and 12th homers of the season on Wednesday, with this moonshot included:

His production had slipped a bit after he raced out to a torrid and unsustainable start, but he's still batting .279 with a 1.105 OPS. Last year, Loperfido hit 25 homers and stole 27 bases across three Minor League levels. Houston really can't allow its dreadful first-base situation to continue much longer.

Brenton Doyle, OF, Colorado Rockies (17%)

We hyped Doyle ahead of Colorado's homestand this week and it worked out just fine. He's on a five-game hitting streak (with multiple hits in three games), nudging his average north of .300. Doyle also swiped a pair of bases on Thursday, which gives him four steals for the year and three bombs. Last season, he delivered 31 extra-base hits, 10 homers and 22 stolen bases, so we know those skills are legit. His team is heading into a two-game weekend series with the Astros at altitude in Mexico City, which is basically like hitting on the surface of the moon. It's a great time to scoop up Doyle and various other Rockies.

Johan Rojas, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (8%)

Admittedly, the hitting is still something of a work in progress and Rojas will sit against the occasional left-hander, but the man has also swiped six bags over his last 10 games. He also stole 14 bases in 15 attempts over 59 games in the big leagues last year while slashing .302/.342/.430. The season before, Rojas collected 62 steals across two Minor League stops, so his elite wheels are well-established. As long as he’s playing, he’s running. We can’t make promises about his contributions in other categories, but he can offer your team a significant boost in steals.

Brent Rooker, OF, Oakland Athletics (18%)

Speaking of category specialists, here’s another. Rooker cleared the fence 30 times last season and he’s hit five bombs in just 15 games this year as a heart-of-the-order hitter in a sub-optimal lineup. His homer against Clarke Schmidt on Wednesday night was a no-doubter.

Hitting for average isn’t necessarily Rooker’s thing, and he’s not gonna steal more than a bag per month, but he can definitely provide power and modest run production. He’s a playable deep league OF/Util.

Vaughn Grissom, SS, Boston Red Sox (24%)

If you don’t have IL spots available to stash anyone at the moment, we certainly understand. It’s rough out there. But if you do happen to have the space, Grissom deserves a look. He’s deep into his rehab assignment at Worcester and adjusting to life at second base after a lost spring.

We can’t give you an exact ETA on Grissom, but we know he’ll bring multi-category potential when he arrives. He’s a career .319/.406/.474 hitter in the Minors who’s flashed double-digit power and speed. This is the sort of player who will deserve a spot on someone’s fantasy roster in almost every league when he’s eventually recalled.