David Bednar's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton reported on Sunday that everything went well after closer David Bednar (lat) played catch for a second straight day. Bednar continues to deal with lat tightness after Pittsburgh shut the right-hander down from throwing last Monday, but the Pirates just seem to be taking a cautious route with their All-Star stopper this spring after he led the National League with 39 saves a year ago and attained a 2.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 80:21 K:BB during 67 1/3 innings. While Bednar doesn't appear to be facing any kind of lengthy absence to start the year, setup man Aroldis Chapman should probably stay rostered in fantasy leagues in the meantime just to be safe. Bednar may not be getting selected as a top-tier closing option but is a fairly safe bet at his 91.2 Yahoo ADP, while Chapman is worth a speculative flier in all settings until Bednar is fully healthy.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and closer David Bednar (lat) are playing it safe in spring training and he's currently not throwing, but the good news is he doesn't seem too worried about the severity of his injury. "Hopefully will be back soon," Bednar said. Manager Derek Shelton said on Sunday that Bednar is dealing with right-lat tightness after feeling it the other day in his throwing program. The Pirates will continue to monitor it, and fantasy managers should do the same. There's still several weeks before Opening Day, but as a precaution, Bednar may be forced to open the season on the injured list, which would pave the way for veteran left-hander Aroldis Chapman to take over closing duties in his first year with the club. Despite pitching for the lowly Pirates, Bednar has easily been a top-10 fantasy closer the last two seasons.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcherDavid Bednar(lat) is dealing with right lat tightness. Bednar felt tightness in his lat during a throwing program. The Pirates are playing it safe with Bednar, and he is currently shut down from throwing. "Hopefully, he will be back soon," said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. Pittsburgh will continue to monitor the injury for the 29-year-old, and he's considered day-to-day. Bednar had a career year in 2023, converting 39 of 42 saves while posting a 2.00 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 67 1/3 innings. Aroldis Chapman is next in line for save opportunities if Bednar were to miss any time. Chapman signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Pirates this offseason after racking up six saves while posting a 3.09 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts over 58 1/3 innings between the Royals/Rangers in 2023. Fantasy managers of Bednar should add Chapman to their roster as a handcuff in case he misses any time. Stay tuned.

Despite the offseason addition of left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman and his seven All-Star selections, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander David Bednar remains the team's primary closer heading into the 2024 season. Bednar, who has been an All-Star each of the last two years himself, received a call from manager Derek Shelton after Chapman's signing, reassuring him of his role. The 29-year-old has saved 58 games while posting a strong 2.27 ERA in 111 appearances for Pittsburgh the last two years. His 39 saves in 2023 were more than double the previous year and were tied for second in the majors. Bednar's role remains pretty secure despite the presence of Chapman, and he's still a top-10 fantasy closer, even though the Pirates are one of the weaker teams in baseball.