Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz went 2-for-4 with a single and a grand slam in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Nationals. It was his third home run of the season, and his slash line now sits at .222/.343/.426. The batting average has been disappointing so far this season, but Cruz has been a star on the base paths. He has eight stolen bases in 15 games played, which would put him at a pace of over 80 in a full season. That might be asking for a lot, but it's safe to say that he's trending towards blowing past his 22 steals from 2024.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (back) remains out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against the visiting Washington Nationals at PNC Park. It's the fifth straight missed game after he came down with lower-back soreness late last week. With Endy Rodriguez (finger) landing on the injured list on Tuesday, Henry Davis will make another start behind the plate to catch left-hander Bailey Falter while batting ninth against Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker. The Bucs finish their series with the Nats on Thursday, but if Bart isn't ready for Friday's series opener in Pittsburgh against the Cleveland Guardians, he may land on the injured list. Davis, the former first overall pick in 2021 out of Louisville, has struggled to find his footing offensively in the big leagues and has gone 2-for-13 so far in 2025. He'll be a poor DFS play on Wednesday and has never faced Parker in his career.

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher Endy Rodriguez (finger) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday after he exited Monday's contest against the Washington Nationals with a right index-finger laceration that required stitches, sources told MLB.com's Alex Stumpf. In a corresponding move, the Pirates recalled right-hander Chase Shugart from the minors. Shugart threw 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings for the Bucs in his first stint with the team. With Rodriguez now on the IL and Joey Bart still nursing a back injury, Henry Davis got the start behind the dish on Tuesday and went 1-for-3 in the 3-0 loss. The fact that the Pirates didn't call up an additional catcher suggests that Bart is getting close to a return. The 24-year-old switch-hitting Rodriguez started the year 8-for-45 (.178) with no home runs, three doubles and two RBI and will be a backup catcher/first baseman when he returns from the IL.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (back) is set to undergo testing before Tuesday's contest against the Cincinnati Reds. Bart has been held out of the starting nine since being removed from Friday's contest with a back injury. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as he may need to be placed on the injured list if he has not made any progress. As a result, Henry Davis will get another start behind the dish and bat ninth. Through his first 11 games of the campaign, Bart was productive at the plate, holding a .282/.378/.436 slash line with one double and one home run. He held a 4:14 BB:K and swiped one bag. Last summer, Bart enjoyed similar success in Pittsburgh, posting a .265/.337/.462 slash line with 13 home runs across 80 games. Fantasy managers in two-catcher formats should continue to stash Bart on their roster while he remains sidelined.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez (finger) was forced to exit early during Monday's game against the Washington Nationals. Rodriguez was removed after being hit in the wrist by a deflected ball. Ouch, the Pirates can't afford to lose another catcher with Joey Bart (back) injured as well. The team is calling Rodriguez day-to-day with a right index finger laceration. Henry Davis took over behind the plate on Monday and figures to see more playing time with the team shorthanded at catcher. It doesn't sound like Rodriguez or Bart will require a trip to the injured list.