Pittsburgh Pirates Roster
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Shortstop Oneil Cruz is not in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels. The Pirates shortstop will not be in the lineup due to Los Angeles starting left-hander Patrick Sandoval. Cruz, who bats left-handed, has struggled against left-handers this season, as he's slashing .132/.154/.211. With Cruz out of the lineup, Pittsburgh will be starting Alika Williams at shortstop, who will be batting ninth. Williams is slashing .275/.310/.400 this season. Cruz should be back in the lineup on Wednesday with a right-hander pitcher on the mound for the Angels. The shortstop will also be available off the bench as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday.
Pittsburgh Pirates second base/outfield prospect Charles McAdoo has been showcasing his upside power during the start of the 2024 season. The 22-year-old has launched four home runs across 23 games with a .309/.396/.531 line at High-A. Last season with Single-A, McAdoo hit five long balls in 28 games with a .302/.412/.510 line. In addition, he swiped five bags last season and has already matched that total this season. McAdoo is almost step-for-step with his strong 2023 numbers at a higher level of competition this season. The former 13th-round selection could very well make a case for a promotion to Double-A later this summer, as he has yet to hit any roadblocks in the minor leagues. McAdoo could become a name to monitor in dynasty leagues as he is showing power potential with an excellent batting average.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller was sensational in Monday's 4-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels, tossing nine innings of one-run ball on five hits (one home run) and one walk while striking out five en route to a complete-game win. Other than Zach Neto's solo shot in the sixth inning, Keller kept Anaheim's bats quiet all evening for easily his most impressive start of the 2024 regular season. Entering the day with a rocky 5.18 ERA, Keller improved it to a 4.43 ERA to go with a 1.33 WHIP and 44:16 K:BB over 49 frames (eight starts) for the Pirates this year. The 28-year-old right-hander aims to build on this effort in Sunday's series finale at home versus the Chicago Cubs for his next scheduled start, where he'll be a hit-or-miss fantasy bet. Keller fired eight scoreless innings in one of his two starts against the Cubs last year, but he gave up seven runs in his other appearance versus Chicago.
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that top prospect Paul Skenes is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Indianapolis again this week. Skenes actually looked human in his last start with Indy on Sunday, giving up two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out only four in 4 1/3 innings pitched. The 21-year-old No. 1 overall pick last year threw just 66 pitches in the outing, so he definitely needs more time in the minors to get stretched out before the Pirates feel comfortable throwing him into the fire at the MLB level. Despite his subpar outing on Sunday, Skenes' numbers are still dominant. Through seven starts, he has a 0.99 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with only eight walks and 45 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. Skenes will be brought up to the big leagues sooner than later, and he needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats.
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander Jared Jones pitched a gem on Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies. Jones went seven strong innings, adding ten strikeouts, surrendering only one hit and zero walks. Unfortunately, the Pirates bats did not score a run until the bottom of the ninth, giving the win to closer David Bednar instead of Jones. Jones continues to be electric with 62 strikeouts in 48 innings to go with two wins, a 2.63 ERA and a minuscule .78 WHIP. Those who gambled in drafting Jones look prescient at this point as he shows no signs of slowing down.