The Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated closer David Bednar (oblique) from the 15-day injured list on Friday and optioned right-hander Ryder Ryan to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move to make room for Bednar on the active roster. Bednar will return to the Pirates' bullpen after missing around three weeks with an oblique strain. The 29-year-old could be eased back into late-inning, high-leverage situations, but eventually he'll retain primary closing duties for the Bucs, with veteran left-hander Aroldis Chapman returning to a setup role. Bednar tossed a scoreless innings in just one minor-league rehab outing with Double-A Altoona earlier this week and was deemed ready to come off the IL. The two-time All-Star has struggled to a 5.17 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in his 34 relief outings in 2024, but he also has 16 saves after posting a league-high 39 saves in 2023.
David Bednar Picks Up A Hold In First Rehab Outing
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (oblique) made his first minor-league rehab outing with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday and pitched a clean inning to pick up a hold. Bednar didn't allow a hit or a walk and struck out one batter. Bednar is getting close to returning from the injured list, but with the All-Star break coming next week, it wouldn't be a surprise if he stays on his rehab assignment until the start of the second half of the season. When he's back with Pittsburgh, the 29-year-old year will return to being the team's primary closing option late in games. He has gone 3-3 this year with an ugly 5.17 ERA AND 1.12 WHIP, but he's also saved 16 games and has a grand total of 74 saves the last three years combined. Until Bednar returns, left-handed veteran Aroldis Chapman will function as the Pirates' closer.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (oblique) will start his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday. Bednar threw a successful bullpen session over the weekend and will now pitch in minor league games after missing over two weeks with a left-oblique strain. It remains to be seen how many outings the 29-year-old right-hander will make in the minors before coming off the injured list. It's possible he could rejoin Pittsburgh's bullpen this weekend, but don't be surprised if the Bucs play it safe and bring Bednar back for the start of the second half of the season after next week's All-Star break. When he returns, Bednar will continue his role as the club's primary closer, moving veteran left-hander Aroldis Chapman back to his late-inning setup role. If Bednar is available for some reason on your league's waiver wire, pick him up and stash him now.
Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that closer David Bednar (oblique) is playing catch out to 120 feet and will throw from the slope of a mound in the coming days. Bednar is throwing once again after going on the 15-day injured list on June 23 with an oblique strain. It wouldn't be a surprise if the 29-year-old right-handed reliever isn't ready to come off the injured list when he's eligible, but he still has a chance to rejoin the back of Pittsburgh's bullpen before the All-Star break in mid-July. The two-time All-Star has a rough 5.17 ERA on the year but also sports a 1.12 WHIP and 16 saves as the Pirates' primary closer when healthy, making him stash-worthy in all fantasy leagues. Veteran left-hander Aroldis Chapman will continue to see most of the team's save opportunities while Bednar is out.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (side) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday afternoon with left side tightness. He was unavailable for Saturday's game and clearly needs extra time to recover. It is unclear how long he will be sidelined for. Bednar has been more sporadic than normal in 2024 as evidenced by his 5.17 ERA, but he has still converted 16-of-19 save opportunities and produced a 9.19 K/9. Aroldis Chapman should be the main beneficiary in Bednar's absence as he collected the save on Saturday. Chapman owns a 4.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, two saves, 13 holds and 45:27 K:BB this season. He is a worthwhile pickup for fantasy managers that are desperate for saves in the short term.
David Bednar Unavailable Saturday, Dealing With Left-Side Soreness
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (side) was unavailable Saturday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays, per manager Derek Shelton. He is dealing with left-side soreness. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth and earned his second save. Bednar has three wins, 16 saves, a 5.17 ERA, and 32 strikeouts in 31 innings. It is unknown how serious the injury is or how long Bednar might be out. Should he miss any time, look for Chapman to fill in for him in the short term.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar shut the door for his 12th save in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Dodgers. Bednar came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one and delivered a 1-2-3 performance with no strikeouts. The 29-year-old has converted 12 of 15 save opportunities this season, but those have come with a 5.92 ERA. Four different relievers have seen a save opportunity for the Pirates in the last seven days, so Bednar's grasp on the role seems to be tenuous. However, he has been a useful fantasy option in each of the last two seasons, so fantasy managers should continue to trust him as long as he can pitch well enough.
Pittsburgh Pirates reliever David Bednar allowed two hits over a scoreless inning to earn the save during Saturday's 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. Bednar entered the ninth inning to protect a three-run lead. He retired the first two batters he faced before surrendering back-to-back hits. The southpaw got Ronald Acuna Jr. to ground out to earn his 11th save. Bednar owns a 6.75 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts over 21 1/3 innings in 2024. Since May 1, the 29-year-old has racked up five saves while posting a 2.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and eight strikeouts over 10 1/3 frames. Bednar is Pittsburgh's primary closer, and fantasy managers should continue to roll with him in all leagues.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar continued his recent run of success on Thursday, tossing a scoreless inning to pick up the save in a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. Bednar didn't allow a baserunner and struck out one. After a horrid April that included three blown saves and a loss, Bednar has bounced back in May, going 4-for-4 in save opportunities while allowing just two runs in seven innings. Fantasy managers can rest easy with Bednar for now, as he should continue as the team's closer for the foreseeable future.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar picked up his fifth save of the season in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Giants. It wasn't without drama though. A day after allowing a walk, two hits, and three earned runs to the Giants, Bednar gave up a two-run home run to Jorge Soler to lead off the bottom of the tenth inning to bring the Giants within a run. The 29-year-old was able to strike out three of the next four batters to preserve the win. This season has not gone at all to plan for the Pirates closer who was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023. Bednar's ERA has swelled to 11.70 with a 1.60 WHIP and three blown save opportunities to go along with his five saves. His job doesn't seem to be in jeopardy at this point, but the Pirates and fantasy managers alike would relish some clean innings going forward.
