6 months agoThe Pittsburgh Pirates designated first baseman
Rowdy Tellez and outfielder
Michael Taylor for assignment on Tuesday and recalled infielder
Liover Peguero and outfielder
Joshua Palacios from Triple-A Indianapolis in corresponding moves. The Pirates have decided to move on from a couple of veterans with the end of the 2024 regular season quickly approaching on Sunday. The 29-year-old Tellez has really struggled of late and will finish his season with a .243/.299/.392 slash line, a below-average .691 OPS, 13 home runs and 56 RBI in 131 games played for the Bucs.
Connor Joe and
Billy Cook figure to split first-base duties the rest of the week. Taylor, 33, hit a lowly .193/.253/.290 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 12 stolen bases in a reserve role in Pittsburgh.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
6 months agoPittsburgh Pirates first baseman
Rowdy Tellez, catcher
Joey Bart and infielder
Jared Triolo are all on the bench for the start of Saturday's contest against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Connor Joe is manning first base and batting seventh,
Yasmani Grandal is doing the catching and hitting sixth, and
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is at third and hitting leadoff against Reds rookie right-hander
Rhett Lowder. It will be the fifth time in the last 10 games that Tellez has found himself on the bench, as he has only two hits in his last 25 at-bats over nine games. Kiner-Falefa draws the most DFS intrigue on Saturday against a rookie hurler. Since coming over from the Blue Jays in a deadline trade this summer, IKF has hit .249 (45-for-181) for Pittsburgh with a homer, nine doubles, two triples, 10 RBI and seven stolen bases.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 months agoPittsburgh Pirates first baseman and designated hitter smashed a two-run homer in a pinch-hit appearance during the Pirates' 5-3 loss on Saturday in the first game of their doubleheader. Tellez pinch-hit for
Connor Joe in the bottom of the seventh and hit the two-run shot, his 13th of the season, off Nationals' right-hander
Jacob Barnes. The lefty added on a walk in the bottom of the ninth before being pinch-ran for. The 29-year-old has started to turn things around after starting the season off very cold in April and May, hitting for an .853 OPS and knocking 11 of his 13 HR since June. Tellez's fantasy value is still somewhat subsided as he's mainly used as a platoon option vs right-handers, but he remains a solid option going forward. He's in the starting lineup for game two against Nationals left-hander
Mitchell Parker and will likely sit on Sunday against Nationals' lefty
Patrick Corbin. Fantasy managers should plan appropriately.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 months agoPittsburgh Pirates first baseman
Rowdy Tellez finds himself on the bench for Game 1 of a doubleheader on Saturday at PNC Park against the Washington Nationals with a left-hander on the mound.
Connor Joe will make the start at first base and will bat seventh for Pittsburgh against Nationals rookie left-hander
DJ Herz. Tellez has only 42 plate appearances against southpaws in 2024 and has gone 8-for-37 (.216) against them with two of his 12 homers on the year, so it's no surprise he's on the bench in this one, especially with two games on tap on Saturday in Pittsburgh. Joe, 32, represents a low-upside, deep-sleeper option for DFS lineups in the first game of the twin bill to kick off the action on Saturday. He has never faced Herz in his career and is hitting .245 (34-for-139) with three of his nine home runs on the year against left-handed pitching.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
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