Waiver Wired: Dance With Lance

It hasn't taken long for Joey Gallo to slug his way into our hearts. After becoming the first player in Rangers history to hit a home run in each of the first two games of his career, the 21-year-old is already owned in 65 percent of Yahoo leagues. While the original expectation was that Gallo would be sent down to Triple-A when Adrian Beltre returns in around three weeks, he could obviously change things if he keeps it up. Also keep in mind that he played six games in left field in Double-A this season, which gives the Rangers another option now that Josh Hamilton is expected to miss four weeks with a hamstring injury.

I addressed Gallo's outlook in this week's "Buy, Sell, or Hold" video. This was taped prior to the news of Hamilton's injury, but my feelings on Gallo haven't really changed that much. Check it out below:

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MIXED LEAGUES

Lance McCullers SP, Astros (Yahoo: 30 percent owned)

It's fair to say that most were caught off guard when the Astros decided to have McCullers skip Triple-A altogether, but maybe they knew what they were doing. The 21-year-old owns a 1.88 ERA across his first four starts in the majors and had his best outing yet Wednesday against the Orioles, allowing one run in a complete game victory while striking out 11 batters and walking none. He's the youngest pitcher to throw a complete game with at least 10 strikeouts since Kerry Wood. Not bad. McCullers mostly relies on a mid-90s fastball and a power curveball, but he also mixes in a changeup. At around 90 mph, mind you. McCullers averaged 4.5 BB/9 in the minors, so the big question has always been the control. That's why Wednesday's outing was so encouraging. Buy on the upside here.

Andre Ethier OF, Dodgers (Yahoo: 34 percent owned)

Ethier was the odd man out in the Dodgers' outfield at the start of the season, but injuries have opened the door for an unexpected bounce back. The 33-year-old is batting .297/.383/.524 with seven home runs and 22 RBI over 50 games while his .907 OPS is the best of his 10-year career. Yasiel Puig could be back with the Dodgers as soon as next week, but with Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke sidelined, Ethier should still get plenty of at-bats in left field. He needs to be in your lineup against right-handed starters.

Jake Lamb 3B, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 12 percent owned)

Lamb was off to a tremendous start this season prior to hitting the disabled list six weeks ago with a stress reaction in his left foot, but he played his first minor league rehab game with Triple-A Reno on Wednesday night and went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. He'll likely have to get a few games under his belt first, but a return at some point next week appears possible. The Diamondbacks dealt Mark Trumbo to the Mariners on Wednesday in a six-player deal, which should open up a spot in the outfield for Yasmany Tomas, so Lamb figures to slot right back in at third base. He makes for an intriguing DL-stash.

Billy Burns OF, Athletics (Yahoo: 38 percent owned)

I recommended Burns in Waiver Wired about a month ago and he's deserving of another mention here. The 25-year-old has found a home as Oakland's regular leadoff hitter in recent weeks while batting .328/.375/.445 with nine steals and 18 runs scored over 29 games. He hit a grand total of two home runs over 1,796 plate appearances in the minors, so the upside is a bit limited here, but he stole 54 bases between Double-A and Triple-A last year and 74 bases between High-A and Double-A in 2013. I'm skeptical about his long-term prospects as a regular, but he's relevant in most formats right now.

Addison Reed RP, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 48 percent owned)

Reed was demoted from Arizona's closer role last month after posting an ugly 7.20 ERA over his first 11 appearances, but he has allowed just two runs in 10 innings over his last nine appearances. He has experienced an uptick in velocity thanks to some changes in his mechanics, including moving from the third-base side of the rubber to the first-base side. The recent success has been enough for manager Chip Hale to think about using him in save situations once again. Brad Ziegler got the call to close out Wednesday's comeback victory over the Braves, but it's time to pick Reed up in leagues where he was dropped.

Clay Buchholz SP, Red Sox (Yahoo: 47 percent owned)

Rookie left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has crossed the 50-percent ownership threshold with two great starts in the majors. I think he's the real deal, but don't overlook Buchholz, who fired eight scoreless innings against the Twins on Tuesday. His mediocre 3.82 ERA is the product of three early poor outings, but he owns a solid 70/18 K/BB ratio over 68 1/3 innings this season and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in five straight starts. He's getting more whiffs and grounders than ever before and also has the best walk rate of his career. All reasons to buy.

Rougned Odor 2B, Rangers (Yahoo: 17 percent owned)

After Adrian Beltre went down with a thumb injury, I thought that maybe Odor would get the call-up from the minors while Adam Rosales would get most of the playing time at the hot corner. Of course, it didn't turn out that way. While the Rangers think that Odor has some work to do with his defense, his bat has looked fine, as he's hitting .338/.430/.703 with five home runs, 14 RBI, and a 7/11 K/BB ratio over 21 games with Triple-A Round Rock. The 21-year-old struggled to the tune of a .144/.252/.233 batting line prior to being sent down last month, but I still think he's going to end up being useful in mixed leagues this season. Keep him stashed if you have the roster flexibility. His time is likely coming soon.

Delino DeShields 2B/OF, Rangers (Yahoo: 23 percent owned)

If you dropped DeShields after Josh Hamilton's return, it's time to pick him back up again. DeShields and Leonys Martin were platooning in center field in recent days, but there should be plenty of playing time for the both of them now that Hamilton is expected to miss four weeks with a hamstring strain. The 22-year-old hasn't shown much in the way of pop thus far, but he's making contact and getting on base and has stolen 12 bases in 13 attempts. Only six players in MLB have more steals. With the speed and multi-position eligibility, he needs to be owned in more leagues.

Javier Baez 2B/SS, Cubs (Yahoo: 18 percent owned)

With Jorge Soler expected to miss at least three weeks with an ankle injury, suddenly Baez is someone to watch in mixed leagues. The 22-year-old has primarily played second base and shortstop with Triple-A Iowa this season, but he made his first career start at third base on Wednesday night. Kris Bryant is capable of playing in the outfield, so it wouldn't be a stretch to see Baez in the Cubs' lineup fairly soon. The 22-year-old is batting .325/.404/.545 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, and six steals over 33 games this season in Triple-A with a strikeout rate of 24.3 percent. Swinging and missing is probably always going to be a part of his game, but that's progress. His power potential is something special, so keep him on your radar.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Mitch Moreland 1B, Rangers (Yahoo: 6 percent owned)

Moreland required surgery in late-April to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, but he only ended up missing the minimum 15 days and is batting .280 (21-for-75) with four home runs, five doubles, and 10 RBI over 19 games since his return. According to Daren Wilman, who does great work at Baseball Savant, Moreland currently ranks third in the majors in average exit velocity this season. He's sandwiched between Giancarlo Stanton, Joc Pederson, Miguel Cabrera, and Josh Donaldson. That's some pretty nice company. Moreland owns a .781 OPS against right-handed pitching in his career and his playing time is secure, so he deserves more attention right now.

Charlie Morton SP, Pirates (Yahoo: 9 percent owned)

Morton got a late start on the season after hip surgery, but he's been excellent since joining the Pirates rotation late last month, allowing four runs (three earned) in 14 innings across two starts to go along with five strikeouts and just one walk. Sure, he hasn't missed many bats, but he has induced 36 ground balls in that time. That is pretty insane. He's not someone you rely on every time out in mixed leagues, but I like him as a matchup play at the very least. I'd give him a shot Friday against the Braves.

Gerardo Parra OF, Brewers (Yahoo: 4 percent owned)

Khris Davis recently suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee and will miss 4-6 weeks after surgery this week, so Parra is now a regular in Milwaukee's outfield. The 28-year-old doesn't stand out in any one category, but he owns a .286/.333/.425 batting line against right-handers in his career and can provide some modest pop and speed. There's a pretty good chance he'll be dealt to a contender before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, which will likely put him back in a fourth outfielder-type role, but he should be relevant in deeper formats in the short-term.

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AL ONLY

Vidal Nuno SP, Mariners (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)

Acquired as part of Wednesday's six-player deal with the Diamondbacks, Nuno is expected to join Seattle's bullpen initially, but there could be an opportunity for him in the starting rotation with Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton both sidelined. The 27-year-old left-hander had a 3.76 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 over 14 starts after coming over from the Yankees last season and a move to Seattle could be good for him. Keep him on your radar if the opportunity arises.

Tommy Milone SP, Twins (Yahoo: 2 percent owned)

Nolasco landed on the disabled list Thursday with a right ankle impingement, so Milone is back in the majors and will take his place in the starting rotation. The 28-year-old put up a ridiculous 0.70 ERA with 47 strikeouts and just three walks in 38 2/3 innings over five starts in Triple-A since a demotion last month, so he's certainly deserving of an opportunity. That said, he's still a soft-tossing lefty who owns a 4.02 ERA in the majors and benefitted by making a bunch of starts in Oakland. Expecting anything more than a back-end starter is probably unfair, but those in AL-only leagues can afford to take some risks.

Chi Chi Gonzalez SP, Rangers (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)

It's been quite a week for Rangers prospects. In addition to Joey Gallo's power exploits, Gonzalez didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning last Saturday in his major league debut against the Red Sox. He ended up allowing two hits and five walks over 5 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out two batters. His control was better in the minors, so perhaps this was just some first-start jitters. Gonzalez might not miss many bats, but he induces a lot of ground balls, which is good news considering his home ballpark. The Rangers have some starting pitching on the way for the second half (Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, Martin Perez) and ups and downs are to be expected with any rookie pitcher, but Gonzalez is a fine flier if he's still out there.

NL ONLY

Welington Castillo C, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)

Some wondered why the Diamondbacks didn't just take Castillo back in the Miguel Montero trade over the winter, but they finally ended up with him in Wednesday's six-player trade with the Mariners. It's a much better situation for Castillo, as Tuffy Gosewisch is done for the season after knee surgery and he'll only have to beat out Jarrod Saltalamacchia for at-bats. The 28-year-old produced a .723 OPS between 2012-2014 and could have some value in two-catcher mixed formats again if the at-bats are there.

Dilson Herrera 2B, Mets (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)

With David Wright's return from a back injury up in the air, Ruben Tejada (Yahoo: 3 percent owned) has swung the bat well in recent days as a fill-in and needs to be owned in all NL-only formats. However, look for some changes in the team's infield soon. This could come in the form of a trade down the line, but we'll likely see Herrera at second base, Daniel Murphy at third, and a combination of Tejada and Wilmer Flores at shortstop very soon. Herrera fractured the tip of his right middle finger last month, but he's set to begin a minor league rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie on Thursday and could be ready to return in a couple of weeks. The 21-year-old possesses more offensive upside than Tejada and needs to be picked up in leagues where he was dropped.