Pittsburgh Pirates News

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Konnor Griffin • SS • Pirates

Konnor Griffin Set to Ramp Up Baseball Activities

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) is set to "swing a bat/catch a ball" at the end of this week, per Alex Stumpf of DK Pittsburgh Sports. Griffin is working his way back from an injury to his left ring finger that has kept him out since early July. The 20-year-old has had an injury-marred first year in the big leagues, as he also missed time earlier in the year due to a flexor strain. Still, Griffin has been productive when healthy, hitting .276/.332/.404 with five home runs, 25 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across 247 plate appearances. While Griffin appears to be making progress towards a return, he could still be a week or two away from beginning a rehab assignment. The Pirates also have little incentive to rush the young phenom back to the big leagues, as they are actively fading from the National League playoff picture. Griffin profiles as a high-upside waiver wire target if he makes it back to the big leagues, but his redraft value for the remainder of 2026 is an open question.

13 hours ago

Oneil Cruz • CF • Pirates

Oneil Cruz Activated From the 60-Day Injured List

The Pittsburgh Pirates are activating outfielder Oneil Cruz (hand) from the 60-day injured list on Monday and are optioning outfielder Ronny Simon to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move, according to Danny Demilio of PGH Sports Now. Cruz will not be in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener at home against the visiting Detroit Tigers and left-hander Framber Valdez, but he will be the team's starting center fielder the rest of the way. The 27-year-old Dominican left-handed hitter should immediately be reinserted into all starting fantasy lineups as he returns from a fractured left hand that kept him out since June 7. Before his injury, Cruz was slashing .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 45 runs scored across 64 games and 283 plate appearances. In six minor-league rehab games with Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona, Cruz went 3-for-22 at the plate with a stolen base. Cruz is rostered in 95% of Yahoo leagues for his ability to contribute across all categories when he is healthy.

21 hours ago

Paul Skenes • SP • Pirates

Paul Skenes to Have Start Pushed Back Due to Recovery Concerns

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes will have his scheduled start on Sunday pushed back to Wednesday, according to Jason Mackey of SportsNet Pittsburgh. Per Mackey, this move is due to concerns about his recovery and is not injury-related. The team is looking to provide the former top prospect with additional time to recover between starts. This is quite noteworthy as Skenes has endured some struggles over the past month of action. In his most recent outing, he tossed just five innings and threw only 65 pitches. The most notable concern of this start was that his fastball averaged a career-low of 95.7 MPH in this game. This season, Skenes has posted a 3.88 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, a massive jump from last season's 1.97 ERA. Managers should continue to monitor his status in case Skenes faces further workload limitations down the stretch.

2 days ago

Mason Montgomery • RP • Pirates

Mason Montgomery Is Worth Chasing for Saves

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Mason Montgomery picked up his fourth save of the season Friday, getting the final out of an 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox. Kirby Yates opened the ninth with no save opportunity but gave up three straight two-out singles, bringing Montgomery in with two runners aboard and the tying run on deck. The left-hander struck out Adley Rutschman to finish it. Three of Montgomery's four saves have now come over his last seven appearances. Montgomery has been rolling lately, posting a 1.32 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts across his last 13 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh still hasn't settled on one closer, with Gregory Soto and Luke Weaver also getting late-inning looks. Montgomery keeps finding his way into save chances, though, and the strikeouts give him something to offer even when the ninth goes elsewhere. At 10% rostered on Yahoo, he's worth chasing in deeper leagues for managers who need saves.

2 days ago

Termarr Johnson • 2B • Pirates

Termarr Johnson Suffers Torn ACL and LCL

According to Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Termarr Johnson (knee) has suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. Johnson suffered a knee injury on August 8 when he landed awkwardly after stumbling over first base. He's scheduled to be examined by Dr. Dan Cooper next week, but it sounds like bad news for Johnson. This season, Johnson was slashing .199/.336/.319 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and 24 stolen bases across 96 games with Triple-A Indianapolis. The former first-round pick is going to miss the rest of this season, and it's unclear when he'll be ready to play again.

3 days ago

Oneil Cruz • CF • Pirates

Oneil Cruz Won't Rejoin the Pirates on Friday Night

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (hand) is expected to continue his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Friday night, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Cruz will not be joining the Pirates for their series opener against the Boston Red Sox. It's unclear if the Pirates will consider activating Cruz from the 60-day injured list for the remainder of the weekend series against the BoSox. Through four rehab games so far at Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, the left-handed slugger has gone 2-for-13 at the plate with six strikeouts and three walks. He probably won't return to the big-league roster until he plays in back-to-back games in center field, so fantasy managers should probably not expect him back in Pittsburgh until at least early next week. The five-category contributor has been sidelined since the middle of June with a fractured hand, but he should remain stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues with the potential to be a difference-maker in the final month of the regular season. The 27-year-old Dominican was hitting .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 homers, 44 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 45 runs in 250 at-bats before his hand injury in 2026.

3 days ago

Luke Weaver • RP • Pirates

Luke Weaver Could Lead Pirates in Saves To Close Out the Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired veteran right-handed reliever Luke Weaver from the New York Mets at this year's trade deadline earlier in the month, and although he has yet to pick up a save with his new club, he should be considered a favorite to lead the team in saves to close out the 2026 campaign. Before the trade, Weaver was 2-1 with the Mets with a sharp 1.84 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, one save, and a 45:11 K:BB in 44 innings pitched. The 32-year-old has only appeared once with the Bucs since being acquired, but he pitched a clean ninth inning with a hit allowed and a walk in a 6-4 loss to his former team, the Mets. The Pirates are expected to go with a closer-by-committee with Weaver, Gregory Soto, and Mason Montgomery, but among the trio, Weaver has been the best relief arm in 2026. The downside is that he doesn't have a whole lot of closing experience in his career, picking up just 13 saves in his 11-year MLB career. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues speculating on saves should give Weaver a look, and he's rostered in only 28% of Yahoo leagues.

4 days ago

Braxton Ashcraft • SP • Pirates

Braxton Ashcraft Dominates Miami in Complete Game on Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft had a much-needed dominant performance over the hosting Miami Marlins on Thursday, throwing a complete game with one earned run allowed on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 10 for his 12th win of the season. Ashcraft lowered his ERA on the season to 3.88 in the process. The only run he allowed in the contest was a solo home run to Owen Caissie in the bottom of the ninth inning. Coming into Thursday's outing in Miami, Ashcraft had posted a 7.88 ERA in his last five starts over 24 innings, so his fantasy managers have to be pretty happy he was able to turn it around in such a dominant way against Miami. In addition to his 3.88 ERA on the year, Ashcraft now sports a 1.11 WHIP with 155 strikeouts and 33 walks in his second full season in the big leagues. He'll look to make it two strong starts in a row his next time out in a difficult matchup against the Detroit Tigers, who have the 11th-best team OPS in the majors in 2026.

4 days ago

Rafael Flores Jr. • C • Pirates

Rookie Catcher Rafael Flores Jr. Breaks Out With Two Homers, Six RBI

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores Jr. had a game to remember in the team's 13-1 beatdown of the hosting Miami Marlins on Thursday. Flores, batting out of the nine-hole for Pittsburgh, went 2-for-5 at the plate with two three-run home runs and two strikeouts. It was just Flores' 20th game in the big leagues after debuting in 2025 in Pittsburgh by playing seven games. The 25-year-old right-handed-hitting backstop came into Thursday's contest in Miami with a .200 average (5-for-25) with a homer, two RBI, six walks, and seven strikeouts in 12 games with the Bucs in 2026. Flores came into the game with just one hit in his last 15 at-bats in his previous eight games, and although his performance on Thursday was a big one, it's unlikely to boost his playing time dramatically as the primary backup to Henry Davis with Endy Rodriguez (hip) currently on the 10-day injured list. Per MLB Pipeline, Flores is the Pirates' No. 21-ranked prospect.

4 days ago

Edward Florentino • OF • Pirates

Edward Florentino Producing At Very Young Age in Minors

Pittsburgh Pirates first base/outfield prospect Edward Florentino has put up good numbers this season between two minor-league levels this season at age 19. Currently at High-A Greensboro, Florentino has 16 homers and 50 RBI in 73 games for the Grasshoppers while hitting .216 with 58 runs scored. The outfield/first base prospect is likely to make his way up the minor league ladder in the next few years, but is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Pirates' system. He has 60-grade power with a 50-grade hit tool and 55-grade speed. The left-handed hitter out of the Dominican Republic has the future tools to be a star, but at the age of 19 will need a few years to get some reps under his belt. A dynasty league stud, Florentino can be left on the waiver wire for the rest of this season in redraft leagues.

4 days ago

Termarr Johnson • 2B • Pirates

Termarr Johnson Going on Injured List With Knee Injury

Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect Termarr Johnson (knee) is expected to be placed on the 7-day Injured List, according to Danny Demilio. Johnson will head to the shelf after suffering a left knee injury on August 8. He stumbled over first base and landed awkwardly, which resulted in Johnson being carted off the field. It doesn't sound like the young slugger is going to be back anytime soon. In 96 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, Johnson is slashing .199/.336/.319 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. He was a first-round pick of the Pirates from the 2022 draft. Given the timing of this injury, Johnson is unlikely to play in Pittsburgh this season. There should be more information on his injury in the coming days.

5 days ago

Hunter Barco • SP • Pirates

Hunter Barco Sharp in Latest Outing at Triple-A

Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Hunter Barco looked sharp in his latest outing at Triple-A Indianapolis, tossing six innings of one-hit ball while walking two and striking out three. The Pirates' ninth-ranked prospect has worked as both a starter and reliever for Indy this year, with much better results as a starter, posting a 2.75 ERA and 1.19 WHIP compared to a 6.94 ERA and 1.97 WHIP. The former second-rounder debuted with the Pirates last year, and made six appearances earlier in 2026, all out of the bullpen. The 6-foot-4 hurler could get another shot in Pittsburgh this year, but his fantasy relevance will depend on whether he's working as a starter or reliever. With the Bucs acquiring Clay Holmes, there currently isn't a need for a closer, and long relief would only make him viable in leagues that reward holds. Even so, the 25-year-old is a name worth monitoring in the event Paul Skenes' recent velocity dip turns into anything more serious and the Pirates end up needing a rotation arm.

5 days ago

Paul Skenes • SP • Pirates

Paul Skenes Lifted Early From Contest After Notable Velocity Drop

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes was pulled out early during Tuesday's outing due to a drop in velocity, according to Talkin' Baseball. Skenes only threw 65 pitches during this game, and none of those pitches registered at 97 MPH or higher. The right-hander allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out four batters in the loss. Fantasy managers don't need to panic yet, but Skenes throwing under 97 MPH is certainly alarming. There is no word on him being injured, so maybe his early exit was for another reason. Fantasy managers should monitor this situation closely over the next few days.

6 days ago

Jhostynxon Garcia • RF • Pirates

Jhostynxon Garcia Off To Slow Start in Opportunity With Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was called up to Pittsburgh on July 29 after spending most of the season with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. Garcia has played 19 games with Pittsburgh and has 47 at-bats with a .170 batting average and no homers, with two RBI and two runs scored. The right-handed hitting 23-year-old is off to a slow start with his new big league club after debuting briefly with the Red Sox last season. Garcia has already received an extended opportunity with the Pirates. The No. 5 overall prospect for Pittsburgh has yet to show off his skills at the big league level and thus can be left on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues. He's combined for 10 homers and 35 runs in the minors this season between two levels but has yet to showcase that ability for the big league club.

6 days ago

Konnor Griffin • SS • Pirates

Konnor Griffin Participating in Baseball Activities

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin (finger) suffered a torn left ring-finger sagittal band on a diving play on July 5 and was expected to be in a splint for six weeks. Griffin has been participating in baseball activities, playing catch and swinging with his top hand, according to MLB.com. He has also been standing in against the Trajekt machine. Griffin was originally placed on the 10-day injured list on July 7 and was moved to the 60-day IL on July 11. He still has a ways to go before potentially returning to the major-league roster, but barring a setback, the shortstop phenom will have a chance to be back in early September. The 20-year-old former ninth overall pick in 2024 is still rostered in over 60% of Yahoo leagues, even though he might only help fantasy managers for the last couple of weeks of the 2026 season. Before suffering a finger injury, Griffin was batting .276/.332/.404 with a .736 OPS, five homers, 25 RBI, 20 steals, and 35 runs scored across his first 225 at-bats. He's going to be a high-end, five-category contributor for a long time to come as long as he stays healthy.

7 days ago

Oneil Cruz • CF • Pirates

Oneil Cruz Begins Rehab Assignment Friday

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (left hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, according to Alex Stumpf. Cruz has been out since early June with non-displaced fractures of the fourth and fifth metacarpals in his left hand and was transferred to the 60-day injured list July 18. This will be his first game action in roughly two months. The 27-year-old was hitting .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs, and 21 stolen bases in 64 games before getting hurt. Pittsburgh has not announced how many rehab games Cruz will need before being activated. Still, getting him back into competitive games is a significant step, and fantasy managers should continue holding him as he works toward a return.

Aug 7

Oneil Cruz • CF • Pirates

Pirates Still Don't Have Specific Timetable for Oneil Cruz's Return

The Pittsburgh Pirates still do not have a specific timetable for outfielder Oneil Cruz's (hand) return from the 60-day injured list, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Still don't have a specific date or timeline, but I think we're getting closer all the time. We're waiting for maybe a little bit more information from him, but we're anticipating it happening soon," general manager Ben Cherington said. Despite starting baseball activities on July 29, it doesn't appear that the 27-year-old will be ready to come off the IL when he's eligible on Friday. Fantasy managers will need to be a bit more patient. Once he's cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment, his return to the big leagues won't be far off, barring a setback. The Dominican outfielder is a must-start in all fantasy formats when he's active for the Bucs, and he has hit .264/.350/.472 with an .822 OPS, 14 home runs, 44 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 45 runs scored across his 250 at-bats in 2026 in his sixth major-league season in Pittsburgh. Cruz had a league-high 38 stolen bases in 2025 and is one of the best power/speed assets in baseball when he's healthy.

Aug 6

Ronny Simon • 2B • Pirates

Pirates to Promote Ronny Simon After Dominant Triple-A Effort

Pittsburgh Pirates infield/outfield prospect Ronny Simon is expected to get the call to the big leagues on Wednesday after a strong campaign at Triple-A Indianapolis. The 5-foot-8 Dominican hit .330 with seven home runs and 33 steals in 99 games for the Indians, while producing a strong .419 on-base percentage thanks in part to a 12.4 percent walk rate. Despite not having big home run totals, his hard-hit rate, average exit velocity (EV), and max EV all register 84th percentile or better at Triple-A, so he has the ability to hit for extra bases, and along with his speed, there are some attributes here that make him a potential fantasy asset. Though the switch-hitter didn't do much in his previous taste of the majors in 2025, there is reason to believe he could have more success this time around. With eligibility at 2B and OF in Yahoo! leagues, the 26-year-old is worth a look in deeper 12+ team leagues, or for any fantasy managers searching the waiver wire for steals.

Aug 5

Luke Weaver • RP • Pirates

Luke Weaver a Priority Waiver-Wire Pickup for Saves-Needy Managers

The New York Mets sent veteran right-handed reliever Luke Weaver to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Monday's trade deadline, and he figures to immediately become the Pirates' preferred option for saves in the ninth inning. It means that Weaver is one of the bigger trade-deadline winners in terms of a boost to his fantasy value for the rest of the 2026 season. The 32-year-old was excellent for the Mets in his 42 relief appearances (44 innings), posting a 1.84 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and 11 walks, but he had just one save in his first year in Queens. The former first-rounder by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014 from Florida State University has been nearly untouchable since the start of June, allowing just two runs (one earned) while walking only three and striking out 21 in 19 1/3 innings to go with his only save of the season and eight holds. At the very least, Weaver should continue to be a great source of holds in the Steel City, but the expectation is that he'll see a big boost in save opportunities now that he's not setting up for closer Devin Williams with the Mets.

Aug 4

Mason Montgomery • RP • Pirates

Mason Montgomery Emerging as Potential Waiver-Wire Target

Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery allowed one hit and struck out the side in his inning of work on Monday to pick up his third save of the year in the 4-3 win on the road against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 26-year-old southpaw was used in this contest after both left-hander Gregory Soto and the newly-acquired Camilo Doval, and all three of his saves this season have come since July 11. Montgomery has been strong at the back end of Pittsburgh's bullpen since the start of July, giving up just two earned runs with five walks, 26 strikeouts, two wins, three saves, and a hold. In just his third major-league season and first with the Bucs in 2026, Montgomery has gone 4-3 with a 3.72 ERA (2.75 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, and 72:21 K:BB in 46 innings across 47 appearances (five starts). Montgomery has become more intriguing as a deep-league source of saves, but his opportunities figure to dwindle after the Pirates acquired right-handed reliever Luke Weaver from the New York Mets at Monday's trade deadline. Weaver is expected to become Pittsburgh's primary closer the rest of the way.

Aug 4

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