Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jared Triolo (knee) said he woke up on Monday feeling "a lot better" after fouling a ball off his knee on Sunday, but he's out of the lineup against the Washington Nationals as a precaution. Triolo ended up staying in the 9-7 win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday, so his injury isn't anything serious and shouldn't land him on the injured list. With an off day coming on Tuesday, the 26-year-old could be back in action as soon as Wednesday versus the Nationals. Alika Williams will get the start at second base on Monday and is hitting ninth against Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore. In the first four games of the year, Triolo has gone 5-for-17 (.294) with two RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored in 20 plate appearances.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jared Triolo's versatility may keep him from being the "everyday" second baseman in 2024, according to MLB.com's Jake Crouse. Triolo impressed in his rookie season in 2023, hitting .298/.388/.398 with three home runs, 21 RBI, six stolen bases and 30 runs scored in his first 54 major-league games. He's also a minor-league Gold Glove defender at third base and basically can play any position on the infield dirt. The fact that Triolo carries four gloves because of his utility defensively makes it seem less likely that he sticks at second permanently versus bouncing around. The good news is that the 25-year-old should see plenty of playing time at multiple positions, although it's fair to wonder how well he'll perform after having a fortunate BABIP while striking out a third of the time in 2023. Triolo is most attractive in deep mixed and NL-only leagues because of his defensive versatility.