Tue, 19 Jul 2016 13:09:28 -0700

Pittsburgh Pirates C Francisco Cervelli (wrist) was activated from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, July 19, and is batting sixth in the lineup against Milwaukee Brewers SP Junior Guerra. The team also designated C Erik Kratz for assignment.

Fantasy Tip: Cervelli should receive most of the starts at catcher as long as he can stay healthy. He is hitting .257 with 21 RBI this season and should be a decent starting option in two-catcher leagues.

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| Source: MLB.com

Sun, 17 Jul 2016 08:54:16 -0700

Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Josh Harrison and 3B Jung Ho Kang are out of the starting lineup against Washington Nationals SP Max Scherzer Sunday, July 17. INF Adam Frazier will bat second and play second base, while INF David Freese will bat fifth and play first base. In addition, OF Matt Joyce will bat sixth and play right field, with C Erik Kratz batting eighth and starting behind the plate.

Fantasy Tip: Freese and Joyce have been enjoying productive seasons, although Joyce is just 2-for-20 in his career off Scherzer and is not a recommended fantasy option this afternoon. Frazier and Kratz should be viewed strictly as a means of emergency cap relief in DFS.

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| Source: Baseball Press

Sat, 09 Jul 2016 15:58:55 -0700

Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Jung Ho Kang is in back in the lineup batting cleanup Saturday, July 9, against Chicago Cubs SP Jon Lester and will play third base. 1B/3B David Freese will replace 1B John Jaso at first and hit second, while C Eric Fryer will bat eighth and fill in for C Erik Kratz.

Fantasy Tip: Even though Lester is coming off a horrible outing, it is hard to recommend any of these Pirates in DFS or most normal-sized leagues, although it is worth noting Kang is 3-for-9 and Freese is 5-for-13 against the southpaw. Fryer is worth adding in two-catcher leagues and may end up becoming the regular catcher in Pittsburgh before long.

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Mon, 04 Jul 2016 09:51:12 -0700

Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Jung Ho Kang is out of the lineup Monday, July 4, with 3B David Freese hitting fifth. C Erik Kratz is also in there hitting eighth.

Fantasy Tip: Freese has had a nice .289-8-35, and he's a lower-middle option in his hometown against Carlos Martinez. Kratz isn't worth consideration in DFS today.

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Sun, 03 Jul 2016 11:15:17 -0700

Pittsburgh Pirates C Chris Stewart is not in the starting lineup against Oakland Athletics SP Daniel Mengden Sunday, July 3. C Erik Kratz will start at catcher and is batting ninth.

Fantasy Tip: Kratz is hitting only .085 with one home run this season and should be avoided in all fantasy leagues.

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Mon, 20 Jun 2016 13:10:05 -0700

Pittsburgh Pirates C Chris Stewart is not in the starting lineup against San Francisco Giants SP Madison Bumgarner Monday, June 20. C Erik Kratz will start at catcher and is batting eighth in the lineup.

Fantasy Tip: Kratz has only one hit in his last 15 at-bats and should not be a starting option in any fantasy league.

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Sun, 12 Jun 2016 12:41:59 -0700

Pittsburgh Pirates C Chris Stewart is not in the starting lineup against St. Louis Cardinals SP Mike Leake Sunday, June 12. C Erik Kratz will be the starting catcher and is batting eighth in the lineup.

Fantasy Tip: Kratz was acquired a few days ago and has not had much success at the plate this season. Kratz should not be used in any league.

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Sat, 11 Jun 2016 09:14:47 -0700

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired C Erik Kratz from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Saturday, June 11, in exchange for cash considerations.

Fantasy Tip: With Francisco Cervelli (hand) on the DL and sidelined for a while, Kratz and Chris Stewart will likely share the catching duties for the Bucs. Kratz has only two hits in 33 at-bats this year, though, so don't expect much out of him if you're desperate for a second catcher in two-catcher or deep NL-only leagues.

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| Source: CBSSports.com

Tue, 10 May 2016 14:24:06 -0700

Houston Astros C Erik Kratz is starting Tuesday, May 10, and batting ninth versus Cleveland Indians SP Trevor Bauer.

Fantasy Tip: Jason Castro just landed on the paternity list, which frees up some starts at catcher for either Kratz or the newly promoted Max Stassi. Owners should remember, though, that being on paternity leave only involves a few days, at most, away from the team, so Castro will be back soon anyway to reclaim his job. As for tonight, Kratz and his .048 batting average can be avoided in all daily games.

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Thu, 05 May 2016 14:31:40 -0700

Houston Astros C Jason Castro (rest) is not in the batting order Thursday, May 5. C Erik Kratz will start in his place and bat eighth opposite Seattle Mariners SP Wade Miley.

Fantasy Tip: With a lefty on the mound, Castro gets the night off, which is unfortunate for him, as his bat is finally coming to life, having at least one hit in six straight contests to get his average up above the Mendoza Line. Kratz, on the other hand, never has a live bat, hence why he's hitting 1-for-19 (.053) thus far this season. He can be left on every waiver wire imaginable.

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| Source: Baseball Press