Sidney Ponson has won two games and posted an ERA under 2.00 for the Rangers this season.

AP

By Dennis LePore, Sandlot Shrink, Special to SI.com 

Time to take an early glance at some players worthy of consideration who likely are available in many a waiver wire.

Start Me Up

Kansas City's Luke Hochevar, 24, is pitching better, coming off a pair of quality starts, and says he feels a little more relaxed, while trying to "keep the ball down in the strike zone, throw strikes and compete as hard as I can." Hochevar added that being around the veteran pitchers has helped him a lot. Makes for a good pickup for the future.

Sidney Ponson, recently signed by the Rangers, now has three straight quality starts under his belt. They keys have been health and working quickly to the hitters and keeping the ball around the plate which keeps his defense on their toes behind him. He's been throwing mostly a sinker and breaking ball so far but has disappointed many times in the past (6.47 combined ERA the last two years).

Jo-Jo Reyes won his season debut for the Braves, allowing four hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings, with three walks and five strikeouts and looks more like the prospect the Braves thought they had after struggling terrible last year. Bobby Cox says it's from better command and a lot more confidence. Reyes credits pitching coach Roger McDowell with making an adjustment to his delivery. Note: he left Thursday's game with a blister on his left index finger.

Clayton Kershaw, 20, could replace the injured Esteban Loaiza in the Dodgers rotation when the team needs a fifth starter around May 17. Hong-Chih Kuo is also a possibility, but Joe Torre said he wants Kuo to remain in the bullpen. Chan Ho Park is another option. Kershaw, one of the best pitching prospects in the minors, is 0-3 in his first six starts with Jacksonville, but had 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings with a sparkling 1.11 ERA. He also dominated in spring training.

Wil Ledezma, 27, has temporarily gained the fifth start in the rotation for the Padres, replacing the struggling Justin Germano. He has a 1.61 ERA in seven relief outings and one start this year while benefiting from a breaking pitch that he worked in the Venezuelan winter league. He said he feels more relaxed with more focus and confidence as well.

Veteran Brian Moehler, 36, threw 40 pitches in a two-inning simulated game Wednesday afternoon getting ready for his start on Friday against the Dodgers -- his first start since Sept. 29, 2006. The veteran is taking the rotation spot of Wandy Rodriguez, who could be out for another two weeks. Moehler has enough savvy to string together a few wins in a row but is a risky pickup for now. He posted a 4.07 ERA in 60 innings of relief for Houston last year.

Nationals manager Manny Acta said that Mike O'Connor would replace Matt Chico (7.18 ERA) in the rotation. O'Connor was 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in four starts at AAA Columbus in April. "It's not a tryout, one-game type of thing," the manager told reporters. "We want to give O'Connor a shot." O'Connor went 3-8 with a 4.80 ERA in 20 starts and one relief appearance for the Nats in '06. He needs to be sharp to win and is risky. He missed most of last season with an elbow injury.

Glen Perkins, 25, will be recalled by the Twins to start Saturday against Boston. He has gone 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA in seven games for Rochester with two good starts in a row, including a two-hit shutout. Perkins, a 2004 first-round pick, tops out in the low-90s with a decent change and curve. He could have some short-term success if he maintains his command. He missed part of last year with a strained shoulder.

Greg Reynolds will be recalled from Colorado Springs to start for the Rockies on Sunday in San Diego. He is nursing a sore ankle and was building up arm strength in his surgically repaired right shoulder. He is also just 21, so they wanted him to gain a little more AAA experience but he has reportedly shown big improvement in his last few outings with his off-speed pitches and the command of his sinker. He is 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA in seven starts for the Sky Sox this season. He was the second overall pick in the '06 draft but I'm still skeptical how much initial success he will have. Josh Towers had been under consideration for the fifth starter's opening (Mark Redman was sent to the bullpen), but has a 6.16 ERA. They also were trying to trade for Josh Fogg, Julian Tavarez and maybe Anthony Reyes.

A few hitters to consider

Brandon Boggs, Texas Rangers -- Boggs, 25, is off to a good start (.313) after his recall last week. He has some power and can steal a few bases and should get fairly regular playing time with Ben Broussard gone. He hit .266 with 19 homers at AA last year. But he also strikes out a lot and doesn't figure to maintain a .300 batting average. Plus, there will be an outfield logjam when Marlon Byrd returns next week.

Freddie Bynum, Baltimore Orioles -- Bynum, who had surgery in March to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, was activated and could see some action at shortstop with Luis Hernandez struggling. Bynum, 28, is a decent hitter but has limited range at the position. Alex Cintron, who is hitting .273 with two home runs at Norfolk, could also be in the mix. Watch how they use them.

Ben Francisco, Cleveland Indians -- Francisco, 26, had a great spring (.362) but was hitting just .228 with three doubles, one triple, one homer and six RBIs at Buffalo. He could finally be up for good as a replacement for Jason Michaels. He hits righties and lefties equally well and gives Eric Wedge a chance to give David Dellucci and Franklin Gutierrez extra days off. He can also play center field. He batted .319 with 12 homers for Buffalo last year. Keep an eye on him.

Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies -- Iannetta, who is getting more playing time these days, is hitting .349 with three homers after struggling all last year. The 25-year old said he feels a lot more comfortable, partly because they are letting him work at his own pace. He's also working hard in the cages and swinging with more aggressiveness at the plate. Grab him now if you need a catcher.

Matt Joyce, Detroit Tigers -- Joyce, 24, will play DH-LF against right-handers for the time being. He has power but strikes out a lot that will keep his batting average down. He was batting .299 with six doubles, a triple, five home runs and 21 RBIs in 28 games for Toledo.

Marco Scutaro, Toronto Blue Jays -- Scutaro, 32, will play shortstop for now with David Eckstein and John McDonald on the DL. He batted .260 with seven home runs and a .332 on base percentage for the A's last year. Worth a short-term pickup.

Dennis LePore is the head writer and editor of the Sandlot Shrink, a group of sportswriters with a direct pipeline to general managers, managers, coaches, players and scouts in Baseball, Football and Basketball. LePore's columns have appeared in several national newspapers, web sites and magazines over the years. At the Shrink site, he combines scouting reports and statistical data to develop his player rankings and dollar values. LePore is also the author of the Shrink's two annual books, the Fantasy Baseball Insider and the Fantasy Football Insider.