Waiver Wired: Taking Maybin

One of the most popular names on the Waiver Wire over the past week has been Dodgers right-hander Mike Bolsinger. And it's easy to understand why. He has compiled a 0.71 ERA over his first four starts this season and completely baffled the Padres in his most recent outing last Saturday, allowing just one hit over eight scoreless innings while walking none and striking out eight. Not bad for a guy who the Dodgers acquired for cash considerations from the Diamondbacks over the winter and likely wouldn't be in their starting rotation if everything was going according to plan.

So, should you be buying on Bolsinger? See my thoughts on his early success in this week's "Buy, Sell, or Hold" video.

Have specific questions about your roster? Ask @djshort on Twitter.

MIXED LEAGUES

Carson Smith RP, Mariners (Yahoo: 13 percent owned)

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon recently said that he doesn't care about Fernando Rodney's ERA as long as he closes games. Well, the 38-year-old has managed to walk the tightrope for the most part this season, but he gave up three runs on three hits Monday against the Rays to blow his second save of the season. While Rodney actually ended up getting the win in that game, he now owns a 6.98 ERA over 20 appearances this season and has a 3.57 ERA and 1.42 WHIP dating back to the start of 2014. You can only overlook poor production for so long, especially with the Mariners trying to contend. Smith is the obvious stash in this bullpen. Relying on a sinker-slider mix, the 25-year-old has a stingy 0.86 ERA with 24 strikeouts and five walks across 21 innings this season. Get ahead on this situation.

Jesse Hahn SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 27 percent owned)

I mentioned Hahn in Waiver Wired a little over one month ago, but his ownership has actually gone down quite a bit in that time. I guess it makes sense, as he has a 4.42 ERA over his last six starts even if you include Monday's shutout against the Tigers, but he owns a solid 31/9 K/BB ratio in 36 2/3 innings during that time. The 25-year-old was a preseason favorite of mine and I'm not wavering on that. There's a lot to like here. Hahn is throwing harder these days, has improved control, induces grounders, and makes half of his starts in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. It would be nice to see him work deeper into games more often and the injury history understandably has many wondering about his long-term upside, but there aren't many better fliers who are widely available right now.

Ryan Howard 1B, Phillies (Yahoo: 46 percent owned)

I didn't expect to include Howard in Waiver Wired this season, but his recent production gives me no other choice. The 35-year-old has 10 home runs and an .817 OPS across 44 games this season, including an impressive .307/.340/.602 batting line this month. Granted, last week's series in Coors Field helped matters. As Mike Petriello recently pointed out in a piece for MLB.com, his resurgence has been fueled in part by a new aggressive approach on the first pitch. His walks are down as a result and strikeouts remain an issue with him, but he's making a lot of hard contact and hitting the ball in the air more often than since way back in 2007. I'm not optimistic about the batting average, but I could see him finishing with his most home runs since he hit 33 in 2011. Worth a shot if you need power.

Tanner Roark SP/RP, Nationals (Yahoo: 42 percent owned)

Despite posting a 2.85 ERA over 31 starts last season, Roark was pushed to the bullpen after the Nationals signed Max Scherzer to a big contract this offseason. However, as these situations often go, an injury has produced an opening in the starting rotation. Doug Fister resumed a throwing program Wednesday as he works his way back from a flexor tendon strain, but there's no clear timetable for his return, so Roark is at least looking at a few starts. His strikeout rate (6.3 K/9) was below the league average last year, so the upside is limited if you trying to maximize your innings, but he has excellent control and the Nationals offense should give him plenty of support.

Logan Forsythe 1B/2B, Rays (Yahoo: 18 percent owned)

At the start of spring training, it looked like Forsythe would be a part-time player again, but he began the year as the starting second baseman due to Nick Franklin's oblique injury and now he's the primary first baseman with James Loney out 4-6 weeks with a broken finger. The 28-year-old has thrived with regular playing time, batting .298/.374/.478 with five home runs, 21 RBI, and three stolen bases across 47 games. It's easy to be skeptical about the batting average given his .331 BABIP (his career BABIP is .288), but he has really cut down on his strikeouts so far this season. Forsythe has modest pop and speed to go along with multi-position eligibility and has hit either fourth or fifth in the Rays' order for most of the month, so the opportunity is there for him to remain useful in fantasy leagues.

Addison Russell SS/2B, Cubs (Yahoo: 49 percent owned)

We see it all the time. Highly-regarded prospect gets promoted to the majors and the ownership level immediately shoots up. Player inevitably struggles and the ownership level dips to a more reasonable number. That's what we've seen with Russell, who owns a .252/.299/.420 batting line with three home runs and 13 RBI over his first 32 games in the majors. He has struck out 36.2 percent of the time thus far, which probably shouldn't be surprising for a 21-year-old. My expectations were modest for him upon his call-up last month, so I'm not counting on much in the way of batting average, but he has shown enough pop to be useful as a middle infielder depending on your particular league set-up.

Chase Anderson SP, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 22 percent owned)

Anderson owns a 3.55 ERA over his first 30 starts in the majors, but he doesn't seem to get much attention in fantasy leagues. Perhaps that will change soon. While the 27-year-old has just one win to show for it, he has allowed just five runs combined over his last five starts. His control has been improved so far this season and his changeup remains a very effective weapon. I like him against the Brewers this weekend, but he's someone who could be a back-end rotation piece on a lot of fantasy rosters.

Michael Cuddyer 1B/OF, Mets (Yahoo: 49 percent owned)

Another option for those who lost Matt Adams to the DL this week, Cuddyer has started to get some better results at the plate in recent days, hitting .341 (15-for-44) with two home runs, one double, and nine RBI over his last 12 games. He's pulled his batting average up from .232 to a more respectable .262 during that time. I'm not expecting the crazy numbers like he posted in Colorado and the 36-year-old is an obvious injury risk, but he's eligible at multiple positions and hits in the middle of the Mets' lineup. Not super exciting, but certainly useful in most formats.

Jaime Garcia SP, Cardinals (Yahoo: 15 percent owned)

Garcia has been limited to just 112 innings since 2013 due to shoulder issues, but he's back in the Cardinals' rotation and picked up his first win of the season Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. Who knows if he can stay healthy, but his velocity has been encouraging so far and Marco Gonzales is still a ways off to threaten for a rotation spot. The 28-year-old southpaw owns a 3.50 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 during his career, including a 2.94 ERA at home. He just so happens to line up for a start against the Brewers at Busch Stadium next Monday.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

(Players owned in under 10 percent of Yahoo leagues)

Preston Tucker OF, Astros (Yahoo: 4 percent owned)

With Jake Marisnick struggling, Tucker has seen increased playing time of late and could be hitting his way into a regular job. Through his first 16 games in the majors, the 24-year-old is batting .306/.393/.531 with two home runs, five doubles, and eight RBI. He's only struck out 10 times in 56 appearances while drawing six walks. Tucker consistently posted solid power numbers in the minors, so maybe we shouldn't be so surprised at his success. I'm grabbing him where I can in deeper formats.

Cameron Maybin OF, Braves (Yahoo: 6 percent owned)

After coming over to the Braves this spring in the Craig Kimbrel deal, Maybin began the season in a platoon with Eric Young, Jr. in center field, but fortunately that arrangement didn't last long. The 28-year-old has started in center field in 13 straight games and in 22 out of the last 23. Perhaps most importantly for fantasy owners, he has hit second in each of the last seven games. Injuries limited Maybin to just 109 games between 2013-2014, but he's batting .261/.361/.435 with five home runs, 19 RBI, and six steals over his first 39 games this season. He's a very intriguing pickup in most leagues, especially if you need some speed. Believe it or not, he's still just 28 years old. There might be some upside remaining here after all.

Mark Reynolds 1B/3B, Cardinals (Yahoo: 3 percent owned)

With Matt Adams expected to miss 3-4 months with surgery to repair a torn quad, the Cardinals figure to be in the market for first base help. Ryan Howard, who I mentioned above, and Mark Trumbo are among the logical fits, but Reynolds should get the majority of the playing time at first base in the short-term. We know he's not going to hit for average -- he's a .230 career hitter -- but there's some power here if you're really needy in deeper formats. Randal Grichuk and Xavier Scruggs also figure to see time at first base for St. Louis.

AL ONLY

T.J. House SP, Indians (Yahoo: 1 percent owned)

I'm not getting off this bandwagon yet, especially after seeing Shaun Marcum get knocked around by the Rangers on Monday. House was hit hard prior to being placed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation in late April, but he has put up a 2.08 ERA with 13 strikeout and four walks in 13 innings over three starts in the minors. His most recent one in Triple-A wasn't great, but I think he's going to get another shot in Cleveland's rotation before long. It's not a bad idea to stash him if he's been dropped.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis OF, Angels (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)

Nieuwenhuis struggled miserably with the Mets this season prior to being designated for assignment last week, but he's in a pretty good situation after being traded to the Angels. According to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, the 27-year-old will likely start in left field against right-handed pitchers, with Matt Joyce serving as the designated hitter. More regular at-bats could be beneficial for him. Nieuwenhuis strikes out a lot, but he has a bit of pop and speed and owns a .717 OPS against right-handers in his career. I expect the Angels to get another bat or two soon, so this could just be temporary.

NL ONLY

Jarrod Saltalamacchia C, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 2 percent owned)

Tuffy Gosewisch suffered a jammed left knee during Wednesday's game and is headed for an MRI, so a stint on the disabled list appears to be a real possibility. Peter O'Brien has been tearing things up in Triple-A, but he's very much a work in progress behind the plate, so the recently-signed Saltalamacchia is probably the most likely candidate for a call-up. The 30-year-old got the boot from the Marlins about a month ago after batting just .209 with 12 home runs and a .661 OPS over 123 games, but his power will come in handy if the playing time is there. There's a decent chance he was dropped in some leagues.

Justin Nicolino SP, Marlins (Yahoo: 0 percent owned)

Jose Urena got the call from Triple-A New Orleans this week after the rash of injuries in the Marlins' rotation, but he was knocked around for five runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Pirates. As reactionary as the Marlins have been recently, it might not be long before Nicolino gets a shot. Acquired in the blockbuster deal with the Blue Jays two winters ago, the 23-year-old left-hander has posted a 2.15 ERA through his first nine starts in Triple-A this season. He doesn't miss many bats, but has excellent control.