Pittsburgh Pirates

Consistent leadoff presence for Pittsburgh delivering real counting stats. No power ceiling to speak of, but the contact skills and speed are reliable. Particularly valuable in OBP and steals-heavy formats.

Emerging as Pittsburgh's primary option after Gregory Soto was pushed out of the picture by the Luke Weaver acquisition. No confirmed save since the shake-up, but Montgomery is worth owning in 12-team leagues with FAAB to spare.

Left hand metacarpal fractures (4th and 5th), suffered June 6. Transferred to the 60-day IL but became eligible to return as of Aug. 7. Has resumed all baseball activities and soreness continues to improve. Return to the active roster appears imminent — managers who stashed him should activate.

Rodriguez has a hit in seven of his last eight games and is forcing a timeshare: Henry Davis is batting .206 since the All-Star break with no stolen base upside, while Rodriguez has six bags and seven homers this season. Position scarcity makes the argument simple — there are very few two-category catchers this available. Add in 12-team formats and start him confidently in Pittsburgh's upcoming home games.

Started vs New York Mets (6W-3L, 3.15 ERA)

Cruz begins a Triple-A rehab assignment Friday after missing two months with fractures in his left hand. Pittsburgh may accelerate a return because it is in the playoff race, but several rehab games remain the preferred path. Keep him stashed and make room for a possible Aug. 14 activation.

Pittsburgh runs a three-way committee. The Yankees reportedly moved Doval to the Pirates at the deadline, adding a third voice to an already crowded ninth inning. No individual is worth rostering in standard leagues. Saves will be spread unevenly across all three.

Jones returned from UCL internal-brace surgery in late May and has delivered 40 innings of solid pitching for the Pirates. His 14.5% K-BB rate and 16% swinging strike rate prove the stuff translated post-surgery, and the Pirates are slowly expanding his workload toward a full starter's load. He struck out five in six innings on Tuesday against the D-backs. At 25% owned, he's still flying under the radar in most leagues — available everywhere and worth starting now.

After his first blown save of 2026 (Ben Rice three-run homer in the ninth last week), Mlodzinski is on a short leash in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have no obvious alternative in the ninth, so don't drop him — but a second blown save in the next two weeks likely triggers a committee. Hold in 12-team leagues; streaming candidate in shallower formats where the opportunity cost is lower.

Mlodzinski's first blown save of 2026 on Wednesday (Ben Rice homer, three-run ninth) cracked his previously clean record. Don't drop him — Pittsburgh has no obvious alternative. But the performance warrants monitoring. If he gives up a second blown save in the next two weeks, the Pirates will go committee and his save value collapses. Hold in 12-team leagues; streaming candidates in shallower formats.

Pittsburgh has never committed to a single closer in 2026. Soto has the best numbers (1.50 ERA, 24:7 K:BB in 18 IP) but shares ninth-inning work with Dennis Santana and Isaac Mattson. A Sports Illustrated report suggested the Pirates will target a closer at the deadline — the in-house committee could collapse into one arm or a new acquisition by August 4.

Cruz was transferred to the 60-day IL July 18 with non-displaced fractures in his 4th and 5th metacarpals, making him eligible to return no earlier than August 8. He originally went on the IL June 9. With Pittsburgh expected to be a deadline seller, even his eventual return comes with diminished context.

Manager Don Kelly has been publicly noncommittal all season, using matchups and leverage as his guide. Soto holds the plurality of saves, but Mason Montgomery (30%+ K rate) and Carmen Mlodzinski are both live in close games. True rolling committee — hold only if you're desperate for saves in a deep league.

Non-displaced fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures in his left hand. No official return timeline has been provided; metacarpal fractures typically require four to six weeks depending on the player's response. The IL start date and projected activation window are still being confirmed.

Locked into the Pirates leadoff spot with Konnor Griffin shelved until early September. He won't hurt your average and will keep running. Meaningful in 14+ team formats, especially if steals are tight.

The 22-year-old Pirates rookie had three homers and eight RBI in a July 11 doubleheader sweep of the Brewers — cementing himself as one of the best rookie stories of the first half. His barrel rate is over 28% and K-rate has dropped to 21% from 30% in the minors. Only available in the shallowest leagues, but pick him up if he's somehow there.

Mangum is filling in for the injured Oneil Cruz and making the most of it — .347 average with seven stolen bases over his last 26 contests. This is a pure AVG/speed contributor with no significant power, but if your team is bleeding stolen bases, he is the cleanest pickup on the wire right now at only 14% owned.

Cruz remains one of the most-watched IL stashes of the season — Jake Mangum has been filling his role with a .311 average and 18 stolen bases on the year. When healthy, Cruz is one of the rare five-category contributors at shortstop. No official return timeline announced heading into the All-Star break; fantasy managers should keep him stashed.

Triolo steps into everyday at-bats with Griffin out until mid-September. The production ceiling is low, but he's a confirmed starter with multi-position eligibility. Worth a pick up in 12+ team leagues that need a MI option.

Torn sagittal band in his left ring finger on a diving play vs. Washington. Finger splinted for six weeks; overall 8-10 week timetable puts him back in mid-September at the earliest. Was batting .276 with 5 HR, 25 RBI, and 20 SB in 59 games — his second significant IL stint of the season (returned June 26 from a forearm flexor strain).

Torn tendon in left ring finger, sustained July 5 on a diving catch vs Washington. 8-10 week return timeline puts him back in early September at the earliest. Jared Triolo is handling most of the shortstop duties in his absence.

Torn tendon in left ring finger, sustained July 5 on a diving catch. Expected to miss 8-10 weeks — an early September return at the earliest.

The hottest bat in baseball not already fully rostered. Valdez has hit a home run in four consecutive games — something no Pirate has done since Garrett Jones in 2009 — and is batting .380 with a 1.368 OPS since his June 11 return. The power is real (92.3 mph exit velocity), and at 41% ownership he's available in most 10-12 team leagues. The 32.8% strikeout rate is the main batting average risk, but his current production demands an immediate add.

Cruz is sidelined with a hand injury and is not expected back until mid-to-late July. Before going down, he was one of the best values in fantasy baseball — 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases, a rare power-speed combination from shortstop. The Pirates have not provided a firm return date beyond the mid-to-late July window.

Pittsburgh's No. 9 prospect has five home runs in 44 career major-league at-bats — a genuinely elite debut power rate. A 29% strikeout rate and a .429 BABIP are both due for regression, but the .370 xwOBA shows the ball is jumping off his bat for real reasons, not just luck. He's homered in three straight appearances. At 6% owned, he is the clearest add-now name on the wire this week — grab him in any format before the strikeout correction triggers panic drops.