Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday. It sounds like Hayes has been dealing with a lingering back issues all season long. That could explain his regression on both offense and defensively this season. Hayes will attempt to return this season, but surgery hasn't been ruled out yet. The expectation is that the red-hot Isiah Kiner-Falefa will move over to third base while Hayes is out. Jared Triolo should also see more playing time with Hayes on the shelf. Triolo isn't much of an asset offensively, but Kiner-Falefa has continued his solid play after being traded to Pittsburgh at the deadline. Kiner-Falefa is hitting .290 with eight home runs and 38 RBI in 96 games this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back), who has regressed bit time in 2024 and is hitting .233 (85-for-365) with four home runs, 25 RBI and 11 stolen bases, has been playing through debilitating back issues that he described as basically a herniated disc. "My whole issue is the disc has lost its jelly stuff," Hayes said. "When we look at the MRIs, [the discs are] just kind of compressing. I don't know that it's rubbing, but it's definitely a little collapsed to where there's pressure, inflammation builds up, and muscles want to try to protect." Among the 140 qualified position players as of Sunday, Hayes' .573 OPS was dead-last. He has one hit in his last 24 at-bats and has only 13 extra-base hits in 396 plate appearances this year. His average against fastballs has dropped from .302 last year to .211 this year. An offseason trade is unlikely because of the fact that his value is at an all-time low and he's not currently healthy.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates' chances of making the postseason now below one percent, the Pittsburgh Pirates could consider shortening rookie sensation Paul Skenes' starts down the stretch. This is Skenes' first professional season and he's thrown 125 1/3 innings between the majors and minors in 2024, nearly as many as he did a year ago between LSU and his brief stint in the Pirates' system. Pittsburgh could cite the long-term health of Skenes as a reason to do so, but it would also prevent him from finishing first or second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, an outcome that would deprive him of gaining a full year of service time and keep him in Pittsburgh for at least one extra season. However, according to sources briefed on their thinking, the Pirates currently have no such plans and don't have a set innings limit for him. Skenes remains a must-start in all fantasy lineups, but this is a disclaimer that his upside the rest of the year could be limited if he's not working as deep into games.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds (back) has returned to the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale at PNC Park against the Seattle Mariners and right-hander George Kirby, serving as the designated hitter and batting second. Reynolds missed Saturday's win with a sore lower back, but he's back in there just a day later. Bryan De La Cruz is in left field again and is batting sixth for the Bucs. It's a tough matchup, but Reynolds is a must-start for fantasy managers when he's active. In just two career at-bats against Kirby, he does have a hit and two RBI. The 29-year-old two-time All-Star has been in a little funk at the plate of late, but overall this month, he's hitting .273 (15-for-55) with a homer, three doubles, eight RBI and six runs scored in 13 contests. Get him back into your lineups for the series finale.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter went five-and-two-thirds innings in Saturday's victory over the Mariners, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out eight on his way to earning his sixth win of the season. The strikeouts matched a season-high for Falter, although this Seattle team strikes out at the highest rate in the major leagues so that should be factored in when making a decision whether or not to consider him for fantasy purposes. The 27-year-old is 6-7 with seven quality starts in 21 starts, a 4.02 ERA (4.22 FIP), 1.25 WHIP, and a 10.0% K-BB%. The lefty will get Cincinnati at home in his next start.