Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (finger) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Cruz injured his finger earlier in the week when he was hit by a pitch on the hand. He's being considered as day-to-day, but will miss his third straight game on Saturday. Hopefully, Cruz can return soon and avoid a trip to the injured list. Alexander Canario will cover center field and bat sixth versus left-hander Andrew Abbott. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up catcher/outfielder Henry Davis on Saturday, sources tell MLB.com's Alex Stumpf. Davis, the first overall pick back in 2021, had a strong spring and was hitting .286 with three doubles in eight games played at Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the season. There's no word on a corresponding move, but catcher Joey Bart (back) did leave Friday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds with lower-back discomfort, so it's possible he will land on the injured list. If Davis does go on the IL this weekend, Davis and Endy Rodriguez will be options for Pittsburgh at catcher going forward. The 25-year-old Davis got off to a nice start offensively in the minors this year, but the Louisville product hasn't been able to put it all together yet at the major-league level in 99 games the last two years, slashing .191/.283/.307 with a .590 OPS, eight home runs, 29 RBI and 114 strikeouts in 377 plate appearances.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (back) was removed early during Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Bart was pulled out of the contest due to lower back soreness. Endy Rodriguez took over behind the plate for the rest of the game. The team has already said Bart is considered day-to-day, so it doesn't appear to be a serious injury. Possibly, Bart is forced to miss a game or two, which would mean more playing time for Rodriguez behind the plate. This doesn't sound like something that is going to force Bart to land on the injured list.

Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Nick Yorke (shoulder) was activated off the 7-day injured list at Triple-A on Friday. Yorke was only able to appear in the first four games of the campaign before hitting the IL. However, Yorke was able to progress well and did not miss much time. Through the first four games of the campaign, the 23-year-old posted a .333/.412/.533 slash line with three doubles and one RBI. Fantasy managers should expect Yorke to continue competing for a return to the big leagues. Last summer, Yorke received a brief taste of MLB action in Pittsburgh and held a .216/.286/.378 line with two home runs and two stolen bases across 11 games. The former 17th overall pick has posted a cumulative .333/.419/.500 line across 82 career games at Triple-A and should be in contention to return to the majors later this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen will start on the bench for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Adam Frazier is making the start in right field and will hit eighth against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. Bryan Reynolds (triceps) continues to serve as Pittsburgh's designated hitter, leaving the 38-year-old McCutchen as the odd-man out. The former MVP has gotten off to a .267 (8-for-30) start at the plate in his 17th big-league season, and he's added a homer, two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored in his 10 games played. Cutch should start to see more regular playing time as the DH whenever Reynolds is able to return to left-field duties. Frazier will be a low-upside DFS option at the bottom of Pittsburgh's lineup. He has hit .286 with one RBI in seven career at-bats against Singer.