Fantasy Baseball 2012: Emergency Waiver-Wire Pitcher for June 5

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

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

Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds (vs. Pirates)

1. Bailey (1.80 ERA, 0.67 WHIP since May 24) has quietly had a solid campaign with the Reds, boasting a 3.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 45/18 K-BB ratio in 10 starts (with just one clunker)—all while reaffirming his standing as an ideal No. 5 pitcher in 12-team leagues.

2. Of similar importance, Bailey's most recent three-start resume portends a jump in production over the next four months—three wins, 20 strikeouts, three walks and just six runs allowed (spanning 21.1 innings).

3. In seven career appearances against the Pirates, Bailey has a 5-0 record, 1.94 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 40/16 K-BB ratio.

4. Tuesday's slate of waiver-wire arms isn't that deep. So, when in doubt, ride the hard-throwing right-hander who gets the anemic-hitting Pirates at home.

The Next Five For Tuesday

1. Drew Smyly (Tigers) vs. Indians—He's been erratic of late, surrendering 15 runs in his last four outings. But the kid is still very efficient with K/BB ratio.

2. Anthony Bass (Padres) vs. Giants—An all-or-nothing proposition with San Diego, I'm starting to worry that Bass may be hitting the wall, in terms of generating 6-9 strikeouts per game.

3. Philip Humber (Blue Jays) vs. White Sox—Humber's post-no-hitter struggles have been well documented; that aside, he has allowed only two runs or less in three of four starts.

4. Francisco Liriano (Twins) @ Royals—The embattled southpaw registered nine strikeouts and allowed zero runs in his last start. Can he string together back-to-back virtuoso outings?

5. Brad Lincoln (Pirates) @ Reds—For what it's worth, Lincoln (as a starter and reliever) has given up only two runs in the last five weeks.

A Look Back

Friday's selection: Reds pitcher Mike Leake
Final tally: 7.0 innings, one win, hits hits, one run allowed, seven strikeouts and three walks.

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