Pittsburgh Pirates Roster
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Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar collected his 36th save of the season on Sunday, shutting down the New York Yankees in a 3-2 win. Bednar struck out the side in his inning of work, allowing just a hit. Bednar has been a bit of an under-the-radar stud, with the fourth-most saves in the MLB to go along with an elite 1.86 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. The righty also has 72 strikeouts in 63 IP for good measure. Although he will be drafted highly next year among relievers, he still might fall further than his numbers suggest he should given his team context.
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds had one hit in four at-bats on Saturday against the New York Yankees, a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. His club still lost, though, 6-3. Reynolds has been solid once again this season, as he's slashed .272/.333/.474 with 22 home runs, 78 runs, 77 RBI, and 12 steals across 134 games. The 28-year-old is a starter in all formats, and he should continue to provide value in all five categories.
The Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated catcher/outfielder Henry Davis (hand) from the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday's 7-5 loss to the New York Yankees. They optioned infielder Vinny Capra to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Davis was not in the lineup upon activation against right-hander Gerrit Cole, which was somewhat of a surprise given he went 8-for-13 with a home run in his four rehab games. Even so, fantasy managers can expect him to operate as Pittsburgh's primary right fielder going forward. The 23-year-old former No. 1 overall pick strained his right hand in late August, but he'll look end his rookie year on a high note. Davis is slashing .213/.306/.339 with five home runs, 18 RBI, and three stolen bases in 209 plate appearances overall.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller threw eight two-hit innings with one walk and seven strikeouts for his 12th win of the year in Thursday's 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals. The 27-year-old needed a boost in the worst way after being shredded for eight runs allowed on three separate occasions post-All-Star break. Keller navigated through the contact-based Nats lineup with relative ease, keeping loud contact at a minimum. The right-hander came out of the game at 92 pitches after the eighth inning for closer David Bednar to shut it down. Keller has endured a tumultuous year, but the 2023 All-Star has been the closest piece of stability in Pittsburgh's shaky rotation with a 4.04 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 198:52 K:BB in 182 2/3 frames. Next up are the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar picked up his 35th save of the season as his team defeated the Nationals 2-0. After a rough outing Wednesday, Bednar recovered and cruised through the ninth frame in Thursday's contest. The 28-year-old has been lights out this season, converting on 35 of 38 save attempts. He's also posted a 3-2 record with an excellent 1.89 ERA. In 62 innings pitched, the Pirates closer has fanned 69 opposing team batters in 2023.
