Dinelson Lamet (SP, SD) - Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 7% of leagues

ANALYSIS: 26-year old Dinelson Lamet missed the entire 2018 season following Tommy John Surgery, but has caught some attention for the strength of his recent minor league performances as he tries to make a return to the majors. In his last start against the for Triple-A El Paso, Lamet allowed four hits, two walks, and three earned runs across 5.0 IP while striking out seven batters. His encouraging rehab starts have gotten plenty of people thinking that his return to the Padres rotation is imminent, and as that moment approaches, expect to see a new and improved version of Dinelson Lamet.

In 13 starts at the Triple-A level, Lamet has struggled with some inconsistency on control of the strike zone and allowance of power with a 1.0 HR/9 and 3.9 BB/9, but he is a bona fide strikeout specialist with a deceptive K/9 of 11.4. The last time we saw him in the majors, he was tossing his fastball at an average of 95 MPH, he was deploying his slider nearly 40% of the time at 86 MPH, and his sparing changeup at 90 MPH. In his most recent rehab performances, he has been limiting walks by exercising greater control of his pitches while throwing his heater in the high-90s, and his slider and changeup with improved action. Petco Park will help suppress some of Lamet's vulnerability to the long ball, and with a window of opportunity and high strikeout-upside, he is an intriguing mid-season injection in deeper formats.