Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz will take a seat on the bench for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Detroit against the Tigers with a left-handed pitcher on the mound. Alika Williams will start at shortstop and will bat in the nine-hole against Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal. Fantasy managers should expect to have Cruz back for the second game of the twin bill to face right-hander Keider Montero, who will be making his MLB debut. The 25-year-old Cruz has been a little better in May with a .260 average (20-for-77) with four home runs, 11 RBI and a stolen base in 20 games played. His power/speed combination makes him relevant in all fantasy formats when he's on the field. Williams has very little offensive prowess and therefore should be avoided in DFS lineups against a tough southpaw.

The Chicago White Sox called up right-hander Jake Woodford from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday in order to make a spot start against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays after the team placed right-hander Mike Clevinger (elbow) on the 15-day injured list. Woodford, 27, will be making his 19th career MLB start and first with Chicago in the big leagues after spending his first four big-league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2020-23. In 10 starts at Charlotte this year, he's gone 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 17 walks and 42 K's in 49 2/3 innings. In his four years with the Cardinals, Woodford had a 4.29 ERA (4.94 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with a poor 15.1% strikeout rate in 80 appearances (18 starts). Woodford will be a poor streaming option on Tuesday but could be worth a look in AL-only leagues if he makes more than one spot start in the wake of Clevinger's injury.

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher Joey Bart (thumb) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 27) on Tuesday and selected the contract of catcher Grant Koch from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. It's unclear exactly what the specific nature of Bart's thumb injury is, but he hurt his thumb on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves and was removed early. With former first-rounder Henry Davis still working on his swing at Indianapolis, Koch will head to the big leagues to serve as veteran Yasmani Grandal's backup in Pittsburgh for however long Bart remains on the IL. Bart was a first-round bust with the San Francisco Giants but has already looked better in 22 games with the Bucs, hitting .267 (16-for-60) with four homers and 12 RBI. When he's healthy, he could be the odd-man out if Davis returns to Pittsburgh before he comes off the IL.

The Pittsburgh Pirates activated third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the hosting Detroit Tigers. Hayes is back from a bout of inflammation in his lower back, and he didn't need a minor-league rehab assignment before the Pirates reinstated him. Despite an absurd spring training that suggested his breakout was on the way, the 27-year-old former top prospect is slashing a weak .240/.322/.318 with one home run, seven doubles, 11 RBI, and 15 runs scored over 149 plate appearances (34 games) in the regular season this year but should immediately resume his duties as Pittsburgh's everyday third baseman. Fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach before activating Hayes or adding him from waiver wires.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (thumb) left Sunday's game with an apparent injury to his left thumb. As a result, Yasmani Grandal entered the game as his replacement. Bart has performed quite well in his new home in the City of Bridges with a strong .267/.362/.517 line with four long balls and 12 RBI through 21 games. If Bart were to miss any long period of time with this injury, Grandal should be expected to receive the majority of starts behind the dish. Grandal has posted a .212/.226/.385 line with two home runs in his first 16 games as a Pirate and could be worth a look in NL-only formats if he has to serve as the primary backstop for an extended period of time.