Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned infield prospect Nick Yorke to Triple-A Indianapolis. Yorke was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster but will instead continue his development at the top level of the minor leagues. During camp, Yorke held a modest .206/.310/.265 slash line. Even with infielder Spencer Horwitz (wrist) expected to miss time early in the season, Yorke was unable to crack the Opening Day roster. Last season, Yorke received a brief taste of the majors and held a .216/.286/.378 slash line across 11 contests. He spent most of the campaign at the Triple-A level and performed quite well. Across 78 games at the level, split between time in Worcester and Indianapolis, the former 17th overall selection posted a strong .222/.420/.498 slash line with 25 doubles and 13 stolen bases. If he continues to perform at this level at Triple-A, he should push for an early return to the majors.

MLB.com's Alex Stumpf writes that the Pittsburgh Pirates are still in the process of learning about the severity of right-hander Jared Jones' right-elbow injury. They have done imaging and are now waiting on a second opinion, according to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. It's unclear when Jones might be able to resume throwing again. The hope is that the Pirates will either have a resolution or know what the next steps are for Jones in the coming days. What we do know is that the 23-year-old won't make his final spring training start, according to manager Derek Shelton. Jones is one of the team's big three starters alongside Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, so losing him for an extended period of time would be pretty devastating. Jones looked good as a rookie but did miss most of July and August with a lat strain. If Jones is forced to open the year on the injured list, Andrew Heaney could be his replacement.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (elbow) experienced elbow discomfort after his most recent bullpen session and will miss his final spring training start. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported the news. Jones pitched well in his 2024 debut, compiling a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with a 26.2% strikeout rate in 121.2 innings (22 starts). The 23-year-old has been a popular breakout pick for the 2025 season. While it's possible the Pirates are being cautious with their young arm, elbow discomfort isn't what you want to hear. He likely won't throw for a bit and will be re-evaluated in a few days. Fantasy managers will want to continue monitoring the hard-throwing righty over the next week, as he's currently being selected inside the top 150 of drafts.

Pittsburgh Pirates first base prospect Nick Yorke could make the Opening Day roster. Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that with Darick Hall and Matt Gorski being assigned to minor-league camp, Yorke could have a path to making the roster. He also noted that infield prospect Billy Cook could also be in the mix as well. In spring training, Yorke has held a .233/.342/.300 slash line with a 6:10 BB:K. Last summer, Yorke made his MLB debut and tallied eight hits (with two home runs) across his first 11 MLB contests. In the minor leagues, he spent time at the Double and Triple-A level. In 78 games at Triple-A, Yorke posted an impressive .333/.420/.498 slash line with 25 doubles and eight round-trippers. If he were to make the roster, he would likely serve as a depth option in the infield and only be worth rostering in NL-only formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Delay has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday. Delay was unable to make the big league roster after going 2-for-17 in 12 spring training contests. This isn't shocking news, but it does help limit down the catching competition in Pittsburgh. Joey Bart figures to have already made the roster as the primary catcher with Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis still battling for the backup role. Bart is really the only one here with any fantasy value after putting together a breakout campaign with the Pirates last season. He hit .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI across 80 games last season.