Michael

McKenry

McKenry’s fourth-inning bomb off of Jake Westbrook was his sixth of the season, three of which have come in his past five games. Despite the recent power surge, McKenry is still a poor own in standard-sized NL-only leagues.

His sacrifice fly in the seventh inning gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead which would eventually be squandered by Joel Hanrahan. After a leadoff double by Clint Barmes in the tenth inning, McKenry attempted to sacrifice unsuccessfully against Aroldis Chapman. With two strikes, he battled back to deliver an RBI double to put the Pirates on top for good. He’s hitting just .193 with three RBI on the year and isn’t worth owning in any format, but it was still a memorable night for the Buccos backup catcher.

McKenry also doubled, scored twice and drove home two runs in the game. His two-run blast off Jordan Lyles in the fifth inning brought the Buccos to within 4-3 and paved the way for a late inning comeback. He’s provided nice punch as the Pirates’ backup catcher this season, hitting .267 with nine homers, 22 RBI and a .907 OPS.

He finished the game 2-for-3 with the solo blast off Ryan Vogelsong in the fourth inning. The 27-year-old backup catcher is enjoying a bit of a breakout season, batting .252 with seven homers and 18 RBI in just 103 at-bats on the season. Should he start to steal the lion’s share of at-bats away from Rod Barajas, he may have value in NL-only formats.

Barajas was scratched from Thursday’s lineup after his nagging left knee was barking during batting practice, but he doesn’t think it’s a major concern. Michael McKenry will continue to play behind the plate if he needs more time.

McKenry finished the night 3-for-3, raising his average to .224. His ninth-inning home run brought the Pirates to within one, but it was as close as they would get. The 28-year-old backstop isn’t worth owning in all but the deepest of NL-only fantasy leagues, but he has provided some big hits in a reserve role this year for the Buccos.

He finished the night 1-for-3 and is only hitting .195 with two home runs and two RBI on the season. McKenry isn’t relevant in any sort of fantasy leagues.

He’s apparently having more issues with his left knee. Michael McKenry made the start behind the dish.

McKenry is suddenly having a very nice season. He was moved into the fifth spot in the Pittsburgh lineup for Saturday’s game and responded by drilling a Mike Leake fastball over the wall in left field. The catcher is now hitting .285 with 11 homers and 28 RBI, and is worth a look as a second backstop for owners in deeper mixed fantasy leagues.

The reason for his absence isn’t yet known, but it could have something to do with a recent knee injury. Michael McKenry will start behind the dish Monday night.