Bailey Falter DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter (back) has been cleared to make his next start on Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Falter was pulled after four innings in his last start on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels due to back tightness, but the 28-year-old southpaw was able to recover and will pitch again this weekend. We would recommend that fantasy managers looking for streamers on Sunday avoid Falter against one of the best teams in baseball on the road. Falter has shown strong control (only seven walks in 26 innings), but he's allowed 17 runs (15 earned) on 24 hits (one homer) while striking out 20 for a 5.19 ERA (4.40 FIP). This is not the time to get cute and roll Falter out there against the best lineup in baseball, especially coming off a back injury in his last start.

Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter (back) was removed from his start early on Tuesday against the hosting Los Angeles Angels due to lower-back tightness, according to the team. Falter is currently being treated by the team's medical staff, and the Pirates will provide an update on his condition when new information becomes available. Before departing the contest in Anaheim, Falter had allowed three earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out five in four innings (65 pitches). It's anyone's guess as to whether the 27-year-old southpaw will be able to make his next scheduled start on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even if Falter's injury is minor and he's able to toe the rubber this weekend, fantasy managers will want to avoid him in that matchup. He has been inconsistent so far in 2025 and entered Tuesday's outing with a 4.91 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in his four starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter was excellent on Wednesday, pitching seven shutout innings and picking up his first win of the season in a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. Falter allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out two. While it was a good start, the advanced metrics don't really back it up. The 27-year-old lefty hasn't been awful this year, but he hasn't been good either. He has a 4.91 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 22 IP. This start is likely just an aberration, and Falter doesn't need to be added anywhere outside the deepest leagues.