Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Rowdy Tellez (back) is back at first base and is hitting cleanup for Pittsburgh in Monday's series opener against the hosting Houston Astros and right-hander Tayler Scott. Back spasms forced Tellez from the game early on Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks and he didn't start the following two games over the weekend, but he was able to hit a pinch-hit double in the series finale on Sunday. The 29-year-old left-handed slugger is now back in action to begin a new week. Tellez isn't much more than a corner-infield option for some power in deep-mixed leagues, but he has come alive so far in the month of July, hitting .327 (18-for-55) with five home runs, three doubles, 14 RBI and 10 runs scored in 19 games. Tellez has a hit in his only career at-bat against Scott.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds has been activated from the bereavement list on Monday. The 29-year-old sat out the weekend series which might've been a good time considering he has been dealing with a back issue. He'll make his return to the lineup on Monday which sends outfielder Jack Suwinski back to the minors. Reynolds will bat second and start in left field versus right-hander Jake Bloss. Fantasy managers who have Reynolds rostered can get him back in their lineups ahead of first pitch.

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infield prospect Nick Yorke from the Boston Red Sox on Monday in exchange for right-hander Quinn Priester, according to sources. Yorke was considered Boston's No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and joined the organization as a surprise first-rounder (17th overall) in 2020. The 22-year-old right-handed-hitting second baseman got off to a slow start in the low levels of the minors early in his pro career but is currently hitting .310/.408/.490 with an .898 OPS, six home runs, 19 RBI and six stolen bases in 38 games for Triple-A Worcester after starting 2024 at Double-A Portland. Yorke has the potential to hit for average and also go for 20-plus homers a year and now has a better path to playing time at the big-league level now that he's in Pittsburgh. He can continue to be ignored in redraft leagues, but there's potential for him to make his MLB debut early in 2025.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski was sent down to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday. It's been an extremely disappointing season for the 25-year-old, who came in with some hype after hitting 26 homers and swiping 13 bags in his sophomore season last year. He hasn't been able to live up to it, with an abysmal .184/.266/.327 slash line and just nine homers and nine steals. The Buccos hope that a trip to the minors will let Suwinski get his head straight and perhaps become a contributor next year.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller looked solid on the mound during Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander struck out six batters while allowing only two runs on two hits in a no-decision. Keller went seven strong innings, but the offensive support came after he was out of the game. He'll take a 3.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 114/34 K/BB ratio into a rematch against the D-Backs next weekend.