
Isiah Kiner-Falefa DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings
Player profile
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HT/WT5' 11'' , 190 lbs
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Birthdate03/23/1995 (29)
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Draft InfoUndrafted
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StatusInactive

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Monday that they activated infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder Liover Peguero to Triple-A Indianapolis after the team's game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Kiner-Falefa is immediately back in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener in New York against the Mets and left-hander David Peterson, playing shortstop and batting sixth. The 30-year-old landed on the IL on May 1 with a strained right hamstring and didn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to Pittsburgh. He'll return to a .280/.333/.330 slash line with a below-average .663 OPS, no home runs, seven RBI, six stolen bases and 11 runs scored in his first 30 games in 2025. IKF is mainly valuable in fantasy for his positional versatility and mild speed in deeper leagues. He has never faced Peterson in his career.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (hamstring) has been cleared to participate in baseball activities and is expected to begin running the bases later this weekend. The 30-year-old has been sidelined since the start of the month with a right hamstring strain. However, given his current progress, fantasy managers should not expect Kiner-Falefa to be sidelined for an extended period. If the 30-year-old does not face any setbacks this weekend, he may not need to embark on a rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day injured list. Through his first 30 games of the season, Kiner-Falefa has held a .280/.333/.330 slash line with six stolen bases. When he is cleared to return, he should be the everyday shortstop in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa is expected to be the primary option at the position come Opening Day. Oneil Cruz has been moved to center field, so the position is now Kiner-Falefa's, and the Bucs also have Jared Triolo on hand, who can play there if needed. Kiner-Falefa is probably a better real-life ball player than a fantasy asset, though, carrying a career .262/.313/.351 slash line with no more than eight home runs in any one particular season and stolen base totals dropping from a high of 22 SB in 2022 to 11 in 2024. The 29-year-old is also projected to hit at the bottom of the Pirates' batting order, which doesn't add any appeal, however, there is some intrigue regarding his positional eligibility as the right-handed hitter is eligible on Yahoo at 2B, 3B, and SS.
