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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Bolster your lineup with these intriguing hitters

The following hitters are widely available in Yahoo fantasy formats and may be worth grabbing, depending on your league’s depth.

Eddie Rosario, OF, Atlanta Braves (20 percent rostered)

Rosario returned to action Monday but remains on many waiver wires having not played since April. He was struggling mightily at the plate before hitting the IL, but that was at least partially the result of an eye problem that’s since been corrected through surgery. There’s no guarantee of everyday playing time with rookie Michael Harris emerging in Atlanta’s outfield, but Adam Duvall is sporting a horrendous 60 wRC+ and a .574 OPS against righties this season. Meanwhile, Rosario racked up 20 homers/steals over just 266 at-bats versus right-handers last year, so he’s going to be plenty valuable to Atlanta and fantasy managers moving forward.

Kyle Lewis, OF, Seattle Mariners (17 percent)

After returning from knee surgery, Lewis has been out since May while dealing with the effects of a concussion. He’s finally returned to baseball activities, and while his rehab stint may be “fairly lengthy,” Lewis needs to be stashed on any available IL slots right now.

While durability remains an obvious concern, the 2020 Rookie of the Year award winner can hit. Lewis has a 123 wRC+ with 24 home runs and seven steals over 480 career at-bats. He was slugging .667 in a tiny sample to start 2022 before the unlucky hit-by-pitch, and the extra time off likely helped his knee get closer to full strength. Lewis’ bat could be a real difference-maker over the second half of the fantasy season.

Darick Hall, Util, Philadelphia Phillies (5%)

Hall has hit cleanup during all five starts — and has already swatted three homers — since getting recalled to replace the injured Bryce Harper. Hall is an older prospect at 26, and he’s only Util eligible, but he’s looking at regular playing time in the middle of Philadelphia’s lineup with Harper missing the next 6-to-8 weeks. Hall had 20 homers with 67 RBI and five steals over 72 games in Triple-A this season, so there’s real power upside. He’s still on the waiver wire in 95% of Yahoo leagues.

Darick Hall #25 of the Philadelphia Phillies could make a fantasy impact
Consider adding Darick Hall off your fantasy baseball waiver wire. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) (Tim Nwachukwu via Getty Images)

Jonathan Villar, 2B/3B/SS, Los Angeles Angels (12%)

After getting released by the Cubs, Villar has hit leadoff in both games since joining the Angels, as Los Angeles is a good fit for a super-utility role. Hitting in front of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani should certainly be helpful, and Angel Stadium has been one of the league’s best hitter’s parks in 2022. Villar is two seasons removed from stealing 40 bases, is eligible at three positions (including the scarce third base) and is available in nearly 90% of Yahoo leagues.

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Tyler Naquin, OF, Cincinnati Reds (7%)

Naquin hit cleanup Tuesday during his return from a quad injury that sidelined him since May. He can be quite useful in the right format, as Naquin has an .850 OPS with 28 homers/steals over just 453 at-bats versus righties since last season. Moreover, Great American Ballpark has boosted home runs by an NL-high 37% over the last three seasons and continues to be a terrific place for left-handed hitters in 2022, so Naquin is a sneaky add in deeper formats.

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