Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Injures leg during AFL game
Rotowire
Johnson was removed from an Arizona Fall League game Tuesday with a right foot injury, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.
Johnson wasn't able to put any weight on his right leg/foot after taking a swing and had to be carried off the field by trainers. The 20-year-old infielder had been looking to build off a season that saw him slash .235/.363/.383 across 546 plate appearances between High-A and Double-A, but it appears he could be held out of action for a while.
Pirates' Bailey Falter: No-decision in final outing
Rotowire
Falter did not factor into the decision in Sunday's loss to the Yankees, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks in three innings. He failed to record a strikeout.
Falter's first two pitches of the contest were both laced for extra-base hits -- a double by Gleyber Torres and a two-run shot by Trent Grisham. Falter never fully recovered, allowing two more runs in the third inning before being pulled after 62 pitches. The 27-year-old started a career-high 28 games for the Pirates in 2024, finishing with a respectable 4.43 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 97:45 K:BB in 142.1 innings. Although the southpaw showed improvement from previous seasons, his paltry 6.3 K/9 (eighth percentile) made him a low-upside fantasy option.
De La Cruz is absent from Sunday's lineup against the Yankees.
De La Cruz will begin Sunday's contest on the bench as Nick Yorke gets the start in right field and bats seventh. Since being acquired by the Pirates from the Marlins in late July, De La Cruz has slashed .200/.220/.294 with three home runs and 17 RBI across 168 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Andrew McCutchen: Idle Sunday
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McCutchen is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.
McCutchen will sit for a second straight game as Bryan Reynolds serves as the designated hitter Sunday and bats second. Unless he comes in to pinch hit, McCutchen will end the regular season having slashed .232/.328/.411 with 20 home runs and 50 RBI across 515 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Sitting Sunday
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Kiner-Falefa is absent from Sunday's lineup against the Yankees.
Jared Triolo will start at third base and bat sixth in Pittsburgh's regular-season finale. As a member of the Pirates this season, Kiner-Falefa slashed .240/.265/.322 with eight stolen bases, one home run and 10 RBI across 215 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Nick Yorke: Pops second career homer
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Yorke went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Yankees.
Yorke has started 10 of 12 games since making his big-league debut, and he popped his second career home run Saturday. Yorke also has two steals, though his 28.9 percent strikeout rate is a concern. He should be in consideration for a roster spot to begin the 2025 campaign.
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Pirates' Jared Triolo: Tallies ninth homer
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Triolo went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Yankees.
Triolo popped a two-run homer in the sixth inning to bring his total on the season to nine, three of which have come in September. His numbers for the campaign are subpar, though Triolo has managed to maintain a .263 batting average with a .701 OPS, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored across 22 starts in September.
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Pirates' Nick Gonzales: Homers in two straight
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Gonzales went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday against the Yankees.
Gonzales took Luis Gil yard to record a home run in his second consecutive game, his only two long balls since returning from the injured list Aug. 26. He's still had an impressive close to the regular season, maintaining a .308 batting average with 10 RBI and 13 runs scored to go along with a 14.8 percent strikeout rate in his last 28 appearances. While not a prolific power hitter, Gonzales should be locked into a starting role for the Pirates in 2025.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Earns first win
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Burrows (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out two to earn the win Saturday against the Yankees.
Burrows followed Paul Skenes into the game to make his major-league debut. Despite his final line, he began 11 of the 14 batters he faced with a strike and managed to throw 60 percent of his pitches over the plate. Most importantly, he has proved healthy and capable of handling a normal workload across the second half of the season after returning from Tommy John surgery. That should put him in a position to compete for a rotation spot in 2025.
Grandal went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored in Saturday's 9-4 win over the Yankees.
The veteran catcher got the Pirates' offense going with a solo shot off Luis Gil in the second inning, one of five long balls by Pittsburgh on the afternoon. It's Grandal's first multi-hit performance since Aug. 21, and his first three-hit effort since Aug. 4. On the season, the 35-year-old sports a .228/.304/.400 slash line with nine homers and 27 RBI in 215 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Aroldis Chapman: Collects 14th save
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Chapman threw a scoreless two-thirds of an inning Saturday to record his 14th save of the season in a 9-4 win over the Yankees. He struck out one.
Jalen Beeks loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning, forcing the Pirates to turn to their closer despite a big lead. Chapman needed only nine pitches (five strikes) to convert his eighth straight save chance, striking out Aaron Judge along the way with a 100.6 mph two-seamer. Even at 37 years old, Chapman can still pump heat over the plate, and his success during his late-season closing stint should re-assure prospective employers this winter as he heads back into free agency.
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Pirates' Paul Skenes: Short outing to wrap up season
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Skenes fanned three over two perfect innings during Saturday's 9-4 win over the Yankees.
The 22-year-old phenom was limited to 23 pitches (17 strikes) in his final start of the season, but Skenes was still dominant. He's built his NL Rookie of the Year case with an 11-3 record, 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 170:32 K:BB through 133 innings, making his big-league debut May 11. Despite his youth and limited track record, Skenes' elite upside makes it likely he'll be one of the first pitchers off the board in 2025 fantasy drafts.
The Pirates recalled Burrows from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.
Burrows has spent nearly the entire season with Indianapolis, posting a 4.06 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 37.2 innings. Although he was used primarily as a starter, he'll most likely be used in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen with Pittsburgh. If he's able to get into one of the team's final two regular-season games, the 24-year-old righty will be making his MLB debut.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Optioned to rookie ball
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Jones to the Florida Complex League on Saturday.
Jones' season was already over after he made his final start of the season Friday, so the Pirates will simply send him to their complex in Florida to finish the season, opening up a roster spot for Mike Burrows in the process. The 23-year-old Jones will finish his rookie campaign with a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP alongside a 132:39 K:BB across 22 starts.
