When one looks at the Major League schedule for Thursday, the one thing that stands out the most is that there are eight teams taking the day off. Those teams are Oakland, Houston, Kansas City, Cleveland, Boston, Arizona, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. For fantasy managers, that means there will be quite a few players unavailable to utilize on their rosters. Without a doubt, having an open spot in a fantasy starting lineup leaves a sick feeling in a manager’s stomach. To prevent this from happening, may we present a fantasy baseball Thursday streamers edition? There are more than a few players on the wire that can help in situations like this. With that in mind, let’s get right to it, shall we?

Top Thursday Position Player Streaming Options

Adolis Garcia, OF, Texas Rangers, 50% Owned

Truth be told, Adolis García isn’t as available as others on this list. Even so, a manager having an open spot in their starting position players must first look to him to get it filled. Even after going 0-5 Sunday, there simply isn’t a hotter hitter in all of baseball at present. Within the past week, Garcia had two hits in a game four times. Additionally, Garcia had two homers, three doubles, five RBIs, four runs scored, and a steal thrown in. His .630 slugging average during that time is explosive.

In fact, since May 17, Garcia has seven two-hit games. He was really slumping early in the season, as this splurge has only raised his average to .227. That matters little, as fantasy is a what have you done for me lately enterprise. Clearly, Garcia has done a lot in the last few weeks. He may go cold again, so a manager will want to ride the wave while it lasts. Check to see if Garcia is available, and act if he is. Once added, a manager will want to leave him on the roster until if and when he does cool down again.

Jorge Mateo, 2B/SS/OF, Baltimore Orioles, 14.1% Owned

Unlike Garcia above, there shouldn’t be many issues with Jorge Mateo being available. With his position eligibility and how well he has swung the bat of late, Mateo shouldn’t be anywhere near a waiver wire. Alas, that is the case, and a fast-acting manager can certainly take advantage. Over the past seven days, Mateo has seven hits, including two doubles, a triple, a homer, and adds a steal as well. As of Wednesday morning, he has a five-game hitting streak.

Earlier in the month, Mateo suffered through a horrific stretch in which he went just one for 20. Fortunately, those days seem to have passed him by and the sun is shining once again. Mateo does have 13 stolen bases and of course, speed is pretty much a lost art in baseball. Even if he does slump again, all a manager is looking for on this fantasy baseball Thursday streamers is to get through a single day. With his multi position eligibility, Mateo can certainly help get any manager through a one-day stretch.

Luke Voit, 1B/DH, San Diego Padres, 28% Owned

No question, there haven’t been a lot of fantasy managers excited about Luke Voit this season. While that is understandable, the truth is that he has been swinging a much better bat of late. Entering Wednesday’s play, Voit has hits in ten of his last 11 games. Further, Voit has delivered positive fantasy points in seven of his last ten games. In fact, nine of his 36 fantasy points have come in the last seven days.

With so many teams off Thursday, the supply of players on the wire will be limited. Voit is one of those players that can get you through the dark day, and then send him back to hibernation. Doing just that is a recommended course of action on this fantasy baseball Thursday streamers edition.

Gio Urshela, 3B/SS, Minnesota Twins, 27% Owned

Mostly viewed as a platoon player earlier in the season, Gio Urshela has become a regular in the Twins lineup the past month. Urshela was not in the lineup the second game of Tuesday double header against the Tigers. Before that, he was in the lineup in 11 of 12 games. The best news is that Urshela’s bat has been awake much of the time during this period with hits in 11 of his last 13 appearances. Additionally, in three of those games, Urshela was blistering hot, producing three hits in each.

Over the past week, he is hitting .310 with two home runs and seven RBIs. His OPS during that time is an excellent .882. Even better, of the 81 fantasy points Urshela has on the year, 21 have come in the last seven days. As with the other players on this list, Urshela would be an excellent addition to a roster for Thursday. Quite possibly, for much longer. If the left side of the infield is a need, pick up Urshela today.

Other Player Position Thursday Adds:

In my last two editions, Kole Calhoun has been prominently featured. Yet, he is still at 25 percent owned. Calhoun had two more hits Monday and remains as strong an add as there is to be found on the wire. He is much more available than Garcia and a manager shouldn’t hesitate to get him on the team to help fill out the roster.

Top Thursday Pitching Streaming Options

Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals, 11.5% Owned

After going through a less than stellar big-league debut, Matthew Liberatore righted the ship against Milwaukee his next time out. That is putting it mildly after he shut the Brewers out five innings, allowing just two hits. Liberatore added six strikeouts and gave up just two free passes. Given how the Pirates have played in recent games, perhaps Liberatore should get a pass on the four runs he gave up to them in just 4.2 innings.

In any event, Liberatore was much more in command of his stuff against Milwaukee. He showed that he is indeed the strikeout pitcher he showed in the minors. In 40 Triple-A innings, Liberatore struck out 46. Further, he held minor leaguers to 8.1 hits per nine. The best news was saved for last. His opponent Thursday is the Chicago Cubs. They come into the game with the second highest strikeout rate in May at 25.6. If a starting pitcher is needed Thursday, Liberatore gets the call on this fantasy baseball Thursday streamers edition.

Corey Kluber, Tampa Bay Rays, 36.5% Owned

If a more veteran pitcher is preferred and he is available, Corey Kluber is in a great spot Thursday. Aside from the disastrous outing he had against the Angels on the 10th, there haven’t been many that have pitched better than Kluber in May. In fact, except for that one outing, Kluber allowed a total of five runs the entire month. Further, in 21 innings, Kluber struck out 22 hitters while walking just three.

Kluber has turned in some big-time fantasy performances during his last six trips to the mound, with four outings of 19 or more fantasy points. Kluber’s Thursday opponent, the Rangers, have been playing better baseball of late. Even so, he is in a solid spot to shine on a day that is short of viable options. Texas comes into the game in the bottom five against right-handed pitchers with a .288 wOBA. Add it all up and without question, Kluber is the go-to name to pickup of the wire for today, if available.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball Thursday streamers edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Have players to add to the list? Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports & Picks for the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and all the latest sports news! 

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