Kiner-Falefa is absent from Monday's lineup against the Marlins.
Kiner-Falefa will hit the bench after he started each of the Pirates' last four games against the Nationals, going 5-for-18 with four runs scored and two RBI. Alika Williams gets the start at shortstop and bats ninth in Kiner-Falefa's stead.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Out of Pittsburgh lineup
Rotowire
Kiner-Falefa is absent from the lineup for Monday's game versus the Cubs.
Alika Williams will start at shortstop and bat ninth, while Nick Gonzales will be elevated to the leadoff spot. Kiner-Falefa is slashing only .223/.263/.321 since joining the Pirates, but this is his first day off since he arrived in Pittsburgh.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Swipes two bags in win
Rotowire
Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-5 with two stolen bases in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Guardians.
IKF took full advantage of his one trip on the basepaths, swiping second and third base after a ninth-inning single. Kiner-Falefa has taken over at shortstop and as the leadoff hitter for Pittsburgh and has six steals in 26 games, but he hasn't provided much production otherwise since joining the team at the trade deadline, slashing just .220/.254/.321 with one homer, seven RBI and 11 runs.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Taking over as everyday shortstop
Rotowire
Manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Kiner-Falefa will serve as the Pirates' primary shortstop for the rest of the season, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
With Oneil Cruz having struggled defensively at shortstop in 2024 after a fractured ankle cut his 2023 season short, the Pirates are planning to transition him to center field over the final month of the campaign. Cruz's move to the outfield keeps an everyday spot in the infield available for Kiner-Falefa, who might have otherwise been at risk of moving into a utility role when Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) returned from the injured list at some point in September. As a member of the Yankees in 2023, Kiner-Falefa made just one start at shortstop, but he should carry eligibility at the position in fantasy leagues in 2025 after having already made 16 starts at shortstop this season prior to Shelton's announcement Monday.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Collects three hits
Rotowire
Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored Sunday against the Reds.
Kiner-Falefa broke out of a quiet seven-game stretch, during which he went only 2-for-27 with a 25 percent strikeout rate. Nevertheless, he remains Pittsburgh's leadoff hitter with Andrew McCutchen (knee) sidelined and has eight runs scored and six RBI across 21 starts since joining the Pirates at the trade deadline.
Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Three hits, homer in win
Rotowire
Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Mariners.
Kiner-Falefa put the Pirates on top early with a leadoff homer and later added two singles for his first three-hit effort with his new club. The 29-year-old has tallied multiple hits in five of his past 10 games with a home run and three steals. On the season, he is batting .293 with eight long balls, 38 RBI, 37 runs scored and six stolen bases across 361 plate appearances.
Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: First hits with Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple, two RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
Kiner-Falefa made his team debut Saturday and went hitless, though he turned things around as a key contributor out of the leadoff spot Sunday. He replaced Andrew McCutchen (quadriceps) atop the order, though Kiner-Falefa looks more likely to settle into the middle of the order as he hit sixth in his team debut and McCutchen does not look likely to miss extended time.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Activated Saturday
Rotowire
The Pirates reinstated Kiner-Falefa (knee) from the 10-day injured list Saturday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
A sprained left knee forced Kiner-Falefa onto the injured list in July, and he was in the final stages of his rehab assignment when he was traded from Toronto to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. The 29-year-old went 4-for-10 and scored two runs over three games while in the minors, and he figures to take over as the Pirates' primary second baseman now that he's healthy. Alika Williams was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move.
Kiner-Falefa (knee) will report to Double-A Altoona on Friday to begin a rehab assignment, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The 29-year-old made two rehab appearances last weekend before being acquired by the Pirates from the Blue Jays, and he'll continue the assignment with his new organization. Kiner-Falefa has been sidelined about a month by a left knee sprain, so he shouldn't require a lengthy stay in the minors and could join Pittsburgh early next week.
Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Shipped to Pittsburgh
Rotowire
The Pirates acquired Kiner-Falefa (knee) from the Blue Jays on Tuesday in exchange for infielder/outfielder Charles McAdoo, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Kiner-Falefa is currently on the injured list due to a left knee sprain, though he played in two rehab games over the weekend and should soon be ready to be reinstated. The utility man is in the midst of the most productive campaign of his MLB career with seven home runs and a .292/.338/.420 slash line through 82 games. He should see significant action at second base since Nick Gonzales (groin) is facing an extended absence, but Kiner-Falefa could also log starts at the hot corner, given Ke'Bryan Hayes' weak .591 OPS this season.
Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Rehab assignment scheduled
Rotowire
Kiner-Falefa (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Kiner-Falefa is slated to be at third base Saturday, designated hitter Sunday and shortstop Tuesday, with a return to the Blue Jays coming after that if all goes well. He's been out since early July with a left knee sprain and has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate. Players can be traded while on the IL, so the fact that Kiner-Falefa isn't scheduled to return until after the deadline wouldn't necessarily preclude a trade.
