Isiah Kiner-Falefa Expected To Man Shortstop For 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.
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This is a rare day off for Kiner-Falefa who has played in every game since he joined the Pirates. The 29-year-old has struggled with a .223/.263/.321 slash line with one home run and seven RBI in 27 games with Pittsburgh. He was tearing the cover off the ball before heading to Pittsburgh, so hopefully a rest day will help him get back on track. In his place, Alika Williams will cover shortstop and bat ninth versus right-hander Jameson Taillon. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option as Williams only has two hits in his last five games.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. The 29-year-old is enjoying a breakout season at the plate, so this is a nice addition to the Pirates lineup. He's slashing .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs and 33 RBI in 82 games. He figures to find his way into the everyday lineup, but his position could be changing. In exchange for Kiner-Falefa, the Blue Jays will receive outfielder Charles McAdoo. A 22-year-old that is hitting fairly well at the Double-A level this season. It shouldn't be too long before he's making an impact in Toronto. As for Kiner-Falefa he'll be in Pittsburgh through at least 2025 with a $7.5 million salary for this season and 2025.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Expected To Begin Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday if all goes well over the next couple of days during his workouts, according to manager John Schneider. A left-knee sprain has kept Kiner-Falefa out since early July, but barring a setback this weekend with Buffalo, he could come off the 10-day injured to rejoin the big-league roster next week. The 29-year-old utility man has had a bounce-back season in his first year in Toronto, hitting .292 (75-for-257) with seven home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored in 281 trips to the plate over 82 games played. He needs just two more homers to set a new career-high in that category and could see regular starts at the 6 in Toronto when he returns with Bo Bichette (calf) currently on the IL.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Placed On The 10-Day Injured List
The Toronto Blue Jays placed infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) on the 10-day injured list when calling up shortstop Leo Jimenez, the club's fifth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Kiner-Falefa has shed the perception of him being a defensive-only player by hitting .292/.338/.420 with seven homers, 33 RBI, 32 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Fantasy managers may want to consider Jimenez as a waiver wire option for those looking for middle infield help. He was slashing .271/.416/.431 with seven homers, 33 RBI, and 40 runs scored. Jimenez slashed .271/.416/.431 with seven homers and three steals with Buffalo this season. The 23-year-old will have an opportunity to establish himself for a franchise struggling to stay in the American League Wild Card chase.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) was scratched from Monday's lineup against the visiting Houston Astros with a "left-knee injury," according to the team. With Kiner-Falefa heading to the bench, veteran Kevin Kiermaier entered the lineup in center field and is batting ninth against Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. It's bad timing for the 29-year-old Kiner-Falefa, even if his injury is minor, as he snapped a 13-game hitting streak on Sunday in the loss to the New York Yankees by going 0-for-4. The recent hot stretch has boosted his season slash line to .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored in 257 at-bats in his first year with Toronto. It's been a nice bounce-back campaign to this point after he disappointed in his two seasons in the Bronx the last two years.
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-4 in Friday's 16-5 loss to the Yankees. Kiner-Falefa singled and hit his seventh long ball of the season, a solo shot, while also scoring twice. June has been the former fourth-round draft pick's most productive month so far, posting a .322-3-15-12-0 line with a .355 wOBA, 133 wRC+, and is currently in the midst of a 12-game hit streak. Overall he's proven to be an asset for the Jays with a .286-7-32-29-3 line on the season while logging time at 2B, 3B, SS, and even one game in CF. The positional versatility translates to fantasy as well, eligible at all four of those spots, so if managers in deep leagues are in need of a useful bench bat that doesn't strike out a lot (13.6% K%), then Kiner-Falefa could fill that role.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a hit-by-pitch in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. He took Guardians right-hander Ben Lively deep in the top of the third inning for his first home run of the game. The 29-year-old later smashed another solo shot in the top of the eighth inning for his second long ball on Saturday. He has collected a hit in seven straight games, hitting .384 (10-for-23) with two home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored during the streak. Fantasy managers can use Kiner-Falefa as a streamer while he's wielding a hot bat.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Continues To Hit Well, Drives In Five
Toronto Blue Jays utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with a double and five RBI on Sunday, leading the Jays to a 6-4 extra-innings win over the Oakland Athletics. Kiner-Falefa drove in a pair with a single in the second inning and then cleared the bases with a double in the tenth to put the Jays in front for good. IKF has carved out an everyday role with the Jays, starting 21 straight games and hitting safely in 16 of his last 18 games. Still, he doesn't have much fantasy value outside of the deepest leagues.
The Toronto Star's Gregor Chisholm writes that Toronto Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa appears to be the favorite to get the bulk of the reps at third base after the team signed him to a two-year, $15 million this offseason. Veteran Justin Turner will also get some starts there, too, but most of his at-bats figure to come at designated hitter. Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal could factor in at the hot corner as well, but they'll also be in play at second base, along with Davis Schneider. But unless the Jays re-sign Matt Chapman, Kiner-Falefa's position will likely be at third. The 28-year-old is mostly helpful for his positional versatility, but his bat hasn't really impressed in his time in the majors. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will merely hope to take advantage of his positional eligibility and his speed in a good lineup, but he's going to need to produce to stay on the field.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa
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Pirates
