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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Caminero Returns, Zebby Zeason Begins

George Bissell breaks down the return of Junior Caminero and arrival of Zebby Matthews in the latest Rotoworld Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column.

George Bissell,

George Bissell,

Next GameNext Game	08/14/2024 6:50 PM EST
Next OpponentNext Opponent	HOU Houston Astros
Standing (Division)Division Rank	4th AL East
WinsWins	59
LossesLosses	59
RunsRuns Scored	463
Runs AllowedRuns Allowed	518
Batting AverageBatting Average	.232
Home RunsHome Runs	110
ManagerManager	Kevin Cash

Cubs acquire INF Isaac Paredes from the Rays for 3B Christopher Morel and 2 minor leaguers

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Orioles acquire right-handed starter Zach Eflin from Tampa Bay for 3 minor leaguers

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Mariners acquire OF Randy Arozarena from Rays, hoping to awaken slumbering offense

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

MLB Future Best Bets: Texas Rangers to make the American League Postseason

Vaughn Dalzell,

Vaughn Dalzell,

07:49

Breakout candidates for second half of MLB season

03:13

Which MLB teams should sell at the trade deadline?

Rotoworld Player News

Taylor Walls

TB Shortstop #6

Taylor Walls went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored on Wednesday against the Astros.

This was a paltry showing by the Rays’ offense against Ronel Blanco and Houston’s bullpen. They had just two hits, none went for extra-bases, and scored one run on a fielder’s choice. Similarly, Walls’ is having a horrific season with a .521 OPS across 49 games played.
Zack Littell

TB Relief Pitcher #52

Zack Littell allowed one hit and one run in five innings on Wednesday against the Astros.

This was Littell’s second time facing the Astros in three starts and the Rays seemed to have scaled back what they asked of him. He was pulled after exactly two revolutions through their batting order despite allowing just one hit and one run. Yet, he’s also already past his career high in innings by 40 and had just three strikeouts versus one walk. This was his fourth straight start allowing one run or fewer as he looks to have put a disastrous July behind him.
Ryan Pepiot

TB Starting Pitcher #44

Ryan Pepiot (knee) will rejoin the Rays’ rotation on Friday against the Diamondbacks.

The 26-year-old right-hander has been sidelined since July 21 when he suffered a right knee infection that he got from a spider bite. He looked terrific in a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday though — striking out seven batters over 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball at Double-A Birmingham. He only threw 69 pitches in that start though, so don’t be surprised if the Rays end up limiting his pitch count the first time back on Friday — against a Diamondbacks’ squad that has been tearing the cover off the ball lately.
Junior Caminero

TB Third Baseman #13

Junior Caminero went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts on Tuesday in his season debut against the Astros.

Caminero’s fourth-inning infield single off Astros southpaw Yusei Kikuchi registered a stratospheric 116.3 mph exit velocity. The 21-year-old top prospect, who ranked second in hard-hit rate at the Triple-A level prior to his latest call up, boasts legitimate 80-grade power and projects as an instant four-category contributor for fantasy managers. There might be an initial adjustment period as he acclimates to everyday life at the highest level, but he’s one of the most talented young slugging prospects we’ve seen in some time.
Shane Baz

TB Starting Pitcher #11

Shane Baz surrendered three runs over seven innings on Tuesday in a loss to the Astros.

Baz held his own in a challenging matchup against a sizzling-hot Houston lineup, limiting them to just a trio of runs on seven hits, including a pair of solo homers, and two walks. He finished with six strikeouts in his longest outing of the season so far through seven starts. The 25-year-old former top pitching prospect hasn’t been dominant by any stretch since returning to the majors back in early July, but he’s continued to miss enough bats to remain on fantasy rosters, especially in deeper mixed leagues. He’ll bring a respectable 4.21 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 32/14 K/BB ratio across 36 1/3 innings (seven starts) into a tasty road tilt on Monday against the floundering Athletics his next time out.
Curtis Mead

TB Third Baseman #25

Rays optioned INF Curtis Mead to Triple-A Durham.

Mead is booted from the active roster to make room for Junior Caminero with Caminero getting call Tuesday to join the Rays. Mead has performed admirably as of late, and there’s a good chance he’s back at some point this summer. There’s still some long-term upside in his bat even without elite power or speed.
Junior Caminero

TB Third Baseman #13

Rays recalled INF Junior Caminero from Triple-A Durham.

Caminero is heading to Tampa Bay to square off against the Astros on Tuesday. He was widely considered the top prospect still in the minors, and the 21-year-old has hit 13 homers with a .276 average for Durham in 2024. He’s been much better than those numbers as of late, and he’s absolutely worth a roster add in all eligible formats.
Junior Caminero

TB Third Baseman #13

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays will recall top prospect Junior Caminero before Tuesday’s game against the Astros.

Caminero is widely considered the top prospect still in the minor leagues, and even while missing a month with a quad injury, the infielder has hit .276 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI for Triple-A Durham. The 21-year-old has previous MLB experience from last year, and while he won’t help in the stolen base category, he has the tools to help everywhere else. Caminero is absolutely a player to add for the final six weeks of the season.
Taj Bradley

TB Starting Pitcher #45

Taj Bradley was shelled for six runs over 4 1/3 innings on Monday in a loss to the Astros.

It’s a second consecutive clunker for Bradley, who ran into an absolute buzzsaw on Monday night facing a red-hot Astros lineup, which tagged him for eight hits, including a pair of home runs. He finished with six strikeouts and only issued a pair of walks. Despite a pair of rocky outings to kick of August, the 23-year-old former top pitching prospect has put together a legitimate breakthrough campaign, registering a strong 3.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 112/33 K/BB ratio across 95 1/3 innings (17 starts). He’ll aim to turn things around on Sunday in a home outing against the Diamondbacks.
Curtis Mead

TB Third Baseman #25

Curtis Mead is starting at designated hitter and batting seventh for the Rays on Monday.

This is now the third straight start for Mead and his fifth start in the last six games. Perhaps more importantly, all of them have come against right-handed pitching after he was limited to a weak-side platoon role after being recalled. The 23-year-old has been solid since the All-Star break, hitting .281 with thee runs scored, two RBI, and just five strikeouts in 11 games. The Rays likely want to see what, if any, role he can play for the team in 2025, but his lack of power and speed so far would seem to suggest he’s a better real-life player than fantasy player.

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