Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar blew Tuesday's save in the 5-3 loss to the visiting Detroit Tigers, imploding for four runs on three hits and one walk while recording only one out. Summoned in the ninth inning to protect a 3-1 lead, Bednar spoiled a gem by starter Martin Perez after allowing a leadoff walk to Riley Greene, three RBI singles, and two hit by pitches before Roansy Contreras took over to retire the next two batters. After taking the loss, Bednar's ERA ballooned to 12.46 to go with a 1.62 WHIP over his 4 1/3 innings of work this year. The 29-year-old All-Star right-hander should have a considerable leash as Pittsburgh's closer after leading the National League with 39 saves a year ago, but it can't help his cause that setup man Aroldis Chapman has rattled off 4 1/3 scoreless frames with eight strikeouts to begin the campaign. It wouldn't hurt fantasy managers to see if Chapman is available on waiver wires.

Pittsburgh Pirates catchers Yasmani Grandal (foot) and Endy Rodriguez (elbow) are making progress from their respective injuries, while catcher Jason Delay (knee) has been shut down from all baseball activities. Grandal is going to do some baserunning in the coming days and has been participating in simulated games. Rodriguez should start a swinging progression from the left side of the plate next week. The veteran Grandal is working his way back from plantar fasciitis in his left foot but appears to be close to a rehab assignment. When the 35-year-old is ready, he'll split catching duties in Pittsburgh with Henry Davis. Rodriguez, 23, is the team's backstop of the future, but he'll be out until the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is getting a breather on Tuesday as the team takes on the visiting Detroit Tigers. With Cruz starting on the bench, Alika Williams will man shortstop for the Bucs and bat ninth in the order against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize, with infielder Jared Triolo in the leadoff spot. This will be the 25-year-old Cruz's second day off of the 2024 season. Cruz is a must-start fantasy asset anytime he's in the lineup, and he's off to a good start this year after missing most of last year due to an ankle injury. In his first 11 games, Cruz is batting .304 (14-for-46) with two home runs, a double, four RBI, a stolen base and seven runs scored in 49 plate appearances. Triolo will be worth a look as a low-cost DFS sleeper in the leadoff spot with Cruz out on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher/outfielder Henry Davis and outfielder Michael Taylor will start on the bench on Monday for the series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Joey Bart will do the catching for the Bucs and will hit ninth, while Jack Suwinski is in center field and batting cleanup against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. This will be Bart's second start in the last three games, and he could see more time behind the plate with Davis starting off his second MLB season just 4-for-30 at the plate. It helps Bart's cause that both Yasmani Grandal (foot) and Jason Delay (knee) are currently on the injured list. This will be Taylor's third straight game starting on the bench. Suwinski is just 6-for-34 (.176) in the early going but will have elevated DFS sleeper appeal in the cleanup spot on Monday.

Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz tallied his first three-hit game of the season in the team's 10-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. De La Cruz moved down in the order for Sunday's game, hitting seventh, after batting third through fifth in every game before that. However, the move down in the order helped the 27-year-old. He singled in his first two at-bats before starting off the eighth inning with a single. De La Cruz is a sneaky fantasy option moving forward, and someone fantasy managers should keep an eye on. He has a hit in nine of 10 games to begin the 2024 campaign.