Bednar has allowed one run across three innings while striking out five and walking none while pitching for the USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Bednar had struggled a bit in camp with the Pirates, as he served up two homers and walked two across only three innings of Grapefruit League action. However, he's put up significantly better results in the World Baseball Classic, a reassuring sign as Opening Day approaches. Bednar should be Pittsburgh's locked-in closer while also providing plenty of strikeouts with decent ratios.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Records 19th save
Rotowire
Bednar picked up the save with a scoreless inning in Sunday's 7-5 victory over the Cardinals. He allowed one hit and one walk with one strikeout.
Bednar worked around a double and a walk to record a scoreless inning and earn his 19th save of the season. In four outings since returning from the injured list Sept. 22, Bednar has allowed one run over four innings with six strikeouts and two saves. He owns a 2.66 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through 50.2 innings this season.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Earns 18th save
Rotowire
Bednar picked up the save Tuesday against the Reds, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning of a 4-1 victory.
Facing the last three spots in the Reds' lineup, Bednar struck out the first two batters before ending it with a groundout. It was his 18th save of the season and first since returning from the injured list Sept. 22. The 27-year-old is likely to occupy the closer role for Pittsburgh over the final eight days of the season.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Activated by Pirates
Rotowire
Bednar (back) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Bednar was on the injured list with his back injury since late July, but he recently made three rehab appearances at Triple-A Indianapolis and allowed a run on two hits and a walk while striking out four in three innings. The right-hander should reclaim closing duties from Wil Crowe over the final two weeks of the regular season.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Final rehab outing set
Rotowire
Bednar (back) will continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday in what is likely to be his final outing before being activated from the 15-day injured list, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander began the rehab assignment last week, and Monday will be his third appearance with Indianapolis. Bednar has been sidelined by the back injury since late July, but he's on the cusp of rejoining the Pirates for the final stretch of the season. He's 17-for-21 in save chances with a 2.70 ERA this year, and he figures to reclaim the closer role from Wil Crowe once reinstated.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Beginning rehab assignment Tuesday
Rotowire
Bednar (back) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Indianapolis, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
After missing more than a month of action with a back injury, Bednar is ready to get back up on the bump. It's unclear how many times he will throw in the minors before being activated from the injured list, but his return should not be far off.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Requires rehab assignment
Rotowire
Bednar (back) will require a rehab assignment prior to returning from the injured list, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Bednar threw live batting practice Saturday and will ultimately need to spend some time in the minors before he's activated by the Pirates. The team hasn't yet determined the specifics of his rehab assignment, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the right-hander remain sidelined until at least late next week.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Slated to face hitters
Rotowire
Bednar (back) will throw live batting practice Saturday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Bednar threw a side session Sunday and has been cleared to face hitters less than a week later. The Pirates haven't yet determined when the right-hander will begin a rehab assignment, but the team will likely make a decision based on how he feels following Saturday's throwing session.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Completes side session
Rotowire
Bednar (back) threw a side session Sunday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Bednar has been on the shelf for just over a month with low-back inflammation, so he'll likely need to throw at least one more bullpen session before advancing to facing hitters in live batting practice. If all goes well, Bednar could start a brief minor-league rehab assignment next week before returning from the 15-day injured list. While Bednar has been sidelined, three Pirates relievers -- Wil Crowe, Chase De Jong and Eric Stout -- have picked up one save apiece.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Throwing Friday
Rotowire
Bednar (back) threw Friday in Philadelphia, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said in mid-August that Bednar was close to starting a throwing program, and the right-hander has now been cleared to make that step. He'll likely have to ramp up his intensity before he's in the mix to rejoin the Pirates, but manager Derek Shelton hopes that Bednar will be able to return prior to the end of the regular season.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Should start throwing soon
Rotowire
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Bednar (back) should be ready to begin a throwing program later this week or early next week, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Bednar was recently cleared to begin plyometric work, and if his back continues to respond well over the next couple of days, he should be ready to start playing catch. He'll then gradually ramp up the intensity and distance of his throwing before eventually graduating to bullpen sessions and then live batting practice. As a reliever, Bednar won't require an extensive buildup program, but Pittsburgh's closer is still probably at least a week away from making his return from the 15-day injured list.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Working through back injury
Rotowire
Bednar (back) has begun doing lumbar/spine exercises and is hoping to start throwing in about a week, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports
Bednar has been dealing with back issues for a good part of the season and has still managed to record 17 saves while generating an impressive 2.70 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. However, it seems that he will have to remain out of action for the immediate future and Wil Crowe will continue filling in as Pittsburgh's closer until Bednar returns.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Shelved with back inflammation
Rotowire
The Pirates placed Bednar on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with low-back inflammation.
Bednar's back injury cropped up earlier this week and left him unavailable for a save chance in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Brewers. Wil Crowe worked around a hit and struck out the side to notch his third save of the season, and he likely projects as manager Derek Shelton's preferred choice to close games while Bednar is on the shelf. Bednar will be eligible to return from the IL in mid-August.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Takes loss in relief
Rotowire
Bednar (3-4) took the loss in Sunday's 6-5 game against Miami, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two and walking none over one inning.
Bednar entered the game with a 4-4 tie in the 10th inning, but he took the loss after a run scored on an error and after allowing another run to score on a single. In four appearances since July 13, Bednar has a blown save and two losses to go with just one save. He has a 4.66 ERA for the month but remains Pittsburgh's main closer. He will take a 2.96 ERA into his next outing.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Notches 17th save
Rotowire
Bednar earned a save against the Marlins on Saturday, allowing one walk and striking out two batters in one scoreless inning.
A sixth-inning run gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead heading into the ninth frame, and Bednar was summoned to preserve the shutout. He issued a one-out walk but managed to keep Miami off the scoreboard. Bednar yielded five runs (four earned) and blew a save in his final 3.2 innings prior to the All-Star break, but his grip on the closer role in Pittsburgh appears to be secure. He's racked up 17 saves on the campaign, sixth-most in the National League.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Implodes Wednesday
Rotowire
Bednar (3-3) got the loss Wednesday after he blew a save, surrendering three runs on three hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning in a 5-4 extra-inning defeat to the Marlins.
Bednar was called upon for the second straight night to protect a late lead, but Wednesday was a far different story than the day prior. After being entrusted with a 4-2 lead when he entered in the bottom of the 10th, Bednar allowed three singles and two runs before uncorking a game-ending wild pitch with two outs. The blown save was his fourth of the year and first in his last six save opportunities. Overall, Bednar has converted 16 saves in 20 chances, generating a 3.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 56 punchouts over 42.2 innings in 36 appearances this season.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Nails down 16th save
Rotowire
Bednar gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 16th save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Marlins.
The 27-year-old closer has looked a little vulnerable lately, giving up runs in four of his last 10 appearances with a 6.97 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB through 10.1 innings over that stretch, but Bednar didn't falter Tuesday. Barring a deadline trade to a contender, he figures to remain in the ninth-inning job in Pittsburgh down the stretch, even with some occasional lapses.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Notches save No. 15
Rotowire
Bednar saved Saturday's 4-3 win against Milwaukee, striking out one during a perfect ninth inning.
Bednar was tasked with protecting a one-run lead and successfully did so against the top of Milwaukee's order. The 27-year-old has tossed four scoreless innings in July while recording four saves after concluding June with two poor performances. Bednar's owns a steady 2.25 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 40 innings, making him one of the stronger closers in the majors.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Unavailable with sore back
Rotowire
Bednar is dealing with a lower-back issue and is unavailable Tuesday against the Nationals, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Manager Derek Shelton said they are hoping to avoid an injured list stint for the back issue that Bednar has been dealing with, which had gone unreported until now. Two of Bednar's three blown saves have come in his last three appearances, and he has given up three runs while striking out seven in 3.2 innings over that stretch. It's unclear who would be next up behind Bednar, but Wil Crowe and Chris Stratton seem like potential options.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Suffers another blown save
Rotowire
Bednar (3-2) was charged with the loss after he pitched two-thirds of an inning, surrendering two runs on two hits and two walks on his way to a blown save Saturday versus the Rays. He struck out one batter.
Bednar was called upon to protect a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning and he retired the first two batters he faced before imploding. He issued back-to-back two-out walks before Jonathan Aranda singled to load the bases. Isaac Paredes then promptly ripped a two-run single, delivering the Rays a walkoff win. Bednar suffered his third blown save of the season and blew his second straight opportunity. The closer still owns a 1.78 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over 35.1 innings while he's converted 11 out of 14 save chances this year.
