Fantasy Baseball 2012: Emergency Waiver-Wire Pitcher for May 17

Mixed-league roto owners, are you in need of a waiver-wire pitcher before Thursday's slate of games?

Here's my free-agent choice (from the majority of 12-team leagues) for one day of fantasy stardom:

Phil Hughes, New York Yankees (@ Blue Jays)

1. In his last two starts, Hughes boasts a 2-0 record, 11/2 K-BB ratio, 2.51 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

2. Hughes hasn't yielded more than two walks in any of his seven starts this season; additionally, he hasn't allowed more than four runs in six outings.

3. In seven career appearances at Toronto's Rogers Centre, Hughes has 2-1 record, 26/10 K-BB ratio and 4.00 ERA.

4. Against the Blue Jays, Hughes has recorded 56 strikeouts in 63 innings of work.

5. For whatever reason, Hughes has cultivated significantly better road numbers than at home: 19-13, 3.88 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 215.2 innings.

The Next Five For Thursday

1. James McDonald (Pirates) @ Nationals—McDonald has been on a recent tear with Pittsburgh, racking up two victories, 33 strikeouts and allowing only six runs in his last four starts.

2. Zach McAllister (Indians) vs. Mariners—The rookie was stellar in his first two starts (13 strikeouts), but can he handle the pressure of increased expectations?

3. Aaron Harang (Dodgers) @ Padres—The right-hander boasts a 1.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in his last two starts. The good times should keep rolling Thursday at spacious Petco Park.

4. Trevor Cahill (Diamondbacks) @ Rockies—A dicey pick here, given Cahill's recent shoulder woes and the venue of Thursday's game (Coors Field).

5. Luke Hochevar (Royals) vs. Orioles—This pick is devoid of numbers-based substance; it's merely a gut feeling that Hochevar will stand tall against Baltimore.

A Look Back

Wednesday's selection: Kansas City's Felipe Paulino
Final tally: Seven innings, five hits, zero runs allowed, nine strikeouts and two walks.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.