The Pittsburgh Pirates activated right-hander Roansy Contreras from the paternity list on Sunday and optioned left-hander Jose Hernandez to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Contreras was placed on the league's paternity list on Opening Day on Thursday but will now rejoin the club to make his MLB debut the next time he appears in a game. Hernandez surprisingly picked up his first career save on Thursday against the Marlins when regular closer David Bednar (lat) was unavailable for the save opportunity. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues that picked up Hernandez after the Opening Day save can now safely dump him for another reliever. Contreras went 3-7 last year for Pittsburgh with a career-worst 6.59 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP, his first career save, 32 walks and 55 strikeouts in 19 outings (11 starts).

The Pittsburgh Pirates, who optioned starter Roansy Contreras to Triple-A Indianapolis earlier this month, have now sent him to the Florida Complex League. It will allow the right-hander to figure some things out before he returns to "high-level competition," according to Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette. Contreras was one of the worst pitchers in baseball this season, as he pitched to a 6.59 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 18.2% strikeout rate with a 3-7 record over 19 games and 11 starts. The 23-year-old has shown flashes before, including in 2023 when he posted a 3.79 ERA, but fantasy managers in most formats can go ahead and drop Contreras, except those in dynasty leagues.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Roansy Contreras was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday. Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Contreras struggled this season, posting a (3-7) record with a 6.59 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and a 55:32 K:32 over 68 1/3 innings in 2023. The 23-year-old lost his spot in the starting rotation in June and was demoted to the bullpen. He allowed a whopping 20 earned runs over his last 12 1/3 innings. Contreras will look to bounce back in the minors and could return to the Pirates before the end of the regular season. The Pirates right-hander should be stashed in all dynasty leagues but is not on the fantasy radar in redraft formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Roansy Contreras was ambushed for seven runs by the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. The 23-year-old faced seven batters before finally recording his first out, but was pulled after the A's batted around in the first inning. Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the ninth frame, but they fell short in a 9-5 defeat. Contreras ate his fifth loss of the year and failed dramatically as a popular streamer and budget DFS play in what seemed to be very favorable draw. The former Pirates top prospect saw his ERA balloon to 5.91 and his WHIP to 1.54 across 56 1/3 innings this year. Despite a seemingly promising 2022, Contreras' suspect hard-hit rate (45.9%) has carried over to haunt him in 2023. The right-hander should not be trusted when he encounters Drew Smyly and the Chicago Cubs next Wednesday, barring a slide back to the bullpen beforehand.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Roansy Contreras is expected to move into a bullpen role soon. The 23-year-old has struggled this season, posting a 4.50 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a 35:23 K: BB across 50 innings. His K% is in the 13th percentile, while his BB% is in the 24th percentile, well below the league average. Contreras will spend some time in the bullpen to keep his innings in check, as he threw 129 1/3 innings between the Pirates and Triple-A in 2022. Fantasy managers should continue to stash Contreras in dynasty leagues, but with the shift to the bullpen, he is mainly an option in deep-league formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Roansy Contreras allowed a pair of runs in four innings in his most recent start on Monday. The right-hander also gave up a pair of hits, one of which was a home run. He didn't walk anyone, but both of the runs he allowed were earned. Contreras generated six swings and misses and logged a 30% CSW rate on 54 pitches. For the season, the 22-year-old has now logged a 3.72 ERA and a 4.22 FIP in 92 innings to go along with 86 strikeouts and 37 walks allowed.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Roansy Contreras was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, and he'll make his return to the starting rotation against the Boston Red Sox. In a corresponding move, the team designated relief pitcher Austin Brice for assignment. Contreras will return to Pittsburgh's rotation after being sent to the minors in July. The 22-year-old Dominican is 3-2 with a decent 3.78 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and a 50:22 K:BB in 50 innings over 12 appearances (nine starts) before being optioned. Contreras has been one of the team's better starters in 2022, but with the Bucs looking to limit his workload down the stretch, he won't have a ton of fantasy upside, including in his return on Wednesday against Boston.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are recalling right-hander Roansy Contreras from the minors on Tuesday. Contreras has thrown 50 innings in the majors for the Pirates so far this season, making 12 appearances, nine of which were starts. He's registered a solid 3.78 ERA to go along with a 4.89 FIP, 50 strikeouts and 22 walks in those 50 innings. With his bat-missing ability, Contreras is certainly worth a look for fantasy managers in need of rotation reinforcements.

The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned right-hander Roansy Contreras to Triple-A Indianapolis after his start against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Thursday and recalled left-hander Eric Stout from Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Contreras pitched well in the 4-2 win, giving up one run on four hits while walking one and striking out seven in six innings to pick up his third win of the season. The 22-year-old has been decent for the Bucs in his second major league season, as he entered the day with a 4.09 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 43 strikeouts and 21 walks in 44 innings over 11 outings (eight starts). Given the fact that the Pirates need an extra arm for the nightcap on Thursday, it's likely that Contreras will be back up with the Pirates in a starting role sooner than later.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Roansy Contreras looked sharp in his start in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-innings loss to the Rockies. Contreras tossed 5 shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. The 22-year-old prospect brings a high-velocity fastball and slider, so the strikeout potential is there, as well as the fantasy potential. His next start would be a tough one at the Dodgers if he sticks in the rotation, and fantasy managers should wait to see more from him regardless of matchup before trusting him. That being said, Contreras is currently rostered in 23 percent of leagues and that number will likely rise in the coming days, so fantasy managers who are interested may want to pick him up sooner than later and stash him on their benches until they can see more.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have recalled right-hander Roansy Contreras from the minors in order for him to start on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. In three relief outings for Pittsburgh this year, he's allowed three earned runs while walking three and striking out 10 in 7 2/3 innings. Contreras has fanned 14 hitters in 10 2/3 career major league innings over the last two years, so he certainly has strikeout upside. The 22-year-old Dominican had a 2.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 11 walks and 24 strikeouts in five starts over 20 1/3 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis before his call-up. Contreras will be a deep DFS streaming sleeper for those feeling lucky on Tuesday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras to Triple-A on Thursday. Fellow right-hander Chase De Jong was called up in a corresponding move. The Pirates had been using Contreras in long relief this year. He made three appearances and pitched 7.2 innings. Over that stretch, he allowed four hits, three walks and three earned runs while striking out 10. Contreras will most certainly be back in a starting pitching role now that he's back at Triple-A. Last year, over 13 starts spread across Double-A and Triple-A, he had a 2.64 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP while averaging 12.7 K/9. We'll likely see him back up in the majors at some point relatively soon.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have called up starting pitcher Roansy Contreras from Triple-A. The move comes after relief pitcher Duane Underwood Jr. (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury during Thursday's game. Underwood will be placed on the injured list. Contreras is ranked as the team's No. 5 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old made his MLB debut with the Pirates last year. He made just one start, pitching three innings and allowing three hits, one walk and no runs while striking out four. He had a 2.64 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 58 minor league innings split between Double-A and Triple-A last year. There's no word yet as to whether he's expected to make a start with the team. He may pitch out of the bullpen for now.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Roansy Contreras made his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. He got the start for the game and went on to pitch three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out four. The 21-year-old is the team's sixth ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. He was fantastic in the minors this year. Over 58 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A, he pitched to a 2.64 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP while averaging 12.7 K/9. We won't see him again this season, but the late season call-up gives hope that he could have a chance for a rotation spot next year.

NEW YORK (AP) — St. Louis pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who started twice for the U.S. team that qualified for the Olympics, was among 50 players announced Wednesday for the All-Star Futures Game at Denver’s Coors Field on July 11. Liberatore, a 21-year-old left-hander, was 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in the Baseball Americas tournament in late May and early June. He is 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA in seven starts this season for Triple-A Memphis. The U.S. Olympic roster will be announced Friday. Futures rosters include 21-year-old Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkelson, the top pick in the 2020 amateur draft; 22-year-old Miami right-hander Max Meyer, the No. 3 selection in 2020; 21-year-old Seattle outfielder Jarred Kelenic, the sixth overall pick in 2018; and 21-year-old Pittsburgh right-hander Roansy Contreras. New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez, who made his professional debut this week for the FCL Yankees, will at 18 be the youngest player in the Future Games since Vladimir Guererro Jr. in... [More]