Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds (back) has been held out for the last three days in spring training due to minor mid-back discomfort. Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Reynolds will be fine and good to go for Opening Day this Thursday versus the Miami Marlins. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter won't finish off the Grapefruit League schedule, but the Bucs are just exercising an abundance of caution with one of their stars with the regular season starting later this week. Reynolds has hit four home runs in 15 spring training games, so he appears to be ready for the regular season to start. Although Reynolds doesn't have a ton of protection around him in Pittsburgh's lineup, he's a low-end No. 2 outfield option for fantasy managers.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal (foot) and outfielder Ji Hwan Bae (hip) will open the 2024 regular season on the 10-day injured list. Grandal is dealing with plantar fasciitis and has yet to resume running in spring training, so he won't be ready for Opening Day. The good news is that the 35-year-old veteran backstop hasn't been completely shut down from baseball activities, so he could be ready to make his 2024 debut when he's eligible to return next month. With Grandal sidelined, it opens the door for Henry Davis to see full-time duties as Pittsburgh's starting catcher to begin the year. When Grandal is healthy, the Bucs plan to rotate the two behind the dish in 2024. While Grandal still has some pop from the left side, he's not much of an option in single-catcher fantasy leagues.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League action versus the Toronto Blue Jays. The home run would be his fourth of the spring and he now has six RBI. The power has been there for the 29-year-old this spring, but other than that, he has hit a lowly .190 in 42 at-bats. It's never a bad thing when half your hits go over the wall, so it is a strong sign to see Reynolds has been producing power. Despite the low average, managers should read too much into as Reynolds has been as steady as they come in the outfield for managers in all formats. With a career batting average and .277 and 20 or more homers in three straight seasons, Reynolds is worth the price tag of his ADP of 80,

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Dauri Moreta (elbow) underwent UCL surgery on Thursday and will miss the next 14 to 16 months. Moreta injured his right elbow earlier this spring and will now miss all of the 2024 season. There's a chance he won't be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign, either, depending on how his rehab goes. The 27-year-old Dominican reliever appeared in a career-high 55 games out of Pittsburgh's bullpen in 2023 and had a 3.72 ERA (2.93 FIP), a 1.09 WHIP, his first career save, 24 walks and a career-high 76 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched. Moreta has pitched to a 4.32 career ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 38 walks and 119 strikeouts in 100 innings pitched for the Bucs and Cincinnati Reds in his three big-league seasons.

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (lat) is making his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 29-year-old reliever came down with lat tightness earlier this month, which is why he hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game until Thursday. Now that he's getting into spring training action, he's optimistic that he'll be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, but there's a chance that the Pirates ease him in early in the year to avoid overworking him on back-to-back days. Regardless, Bednar has proven to be one of the best relievers in the game the last two years and led the league in saves in 2023 with 39. Despite pitching for the Pirates, Bednar should be considered a top-10 fantasy closer.