Red Sox's Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Part of platoon at 2B
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Kiner-Falefa will be part of a three-man platoon at second base early in the season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Marcelo Mayer will start against right-handers, with both Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio getting chances in the lineup against lefties. The manager indicated the player who will start against southpaws will be a "mix-and-match" situation, but Monasterio was more effective against lefties in 2025. The Red Sox are scheduled to face two Cincinnati left-handers out of the gate -- Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo (blister).
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Red Sox's Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Continues hot camp
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Kiner-Falefa started at first base and went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's spring game against Minnesota.
Kiner-Falefa is adding first base to his already expansive list of positions. With Willson Contreras away at the World Baseball Classic and Romy Gonzalez (shoulder) possibly in need of surgery, Kiner-Falefa has made four appearances at first, while also seeing time at shortstop (one game), second base (two), third base (two), and designated hitter (one). Through 10 Grapefruit League games, he's batting .409 (9-for-22) with four walks, two doubles, two RBI and one steal. The latest roster projection by Ian Browne of MLB.com includes both Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio as utility infielders.
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Red Sox's Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Gettings reps at first
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Kiner-Falefa is getting work at first base early in spring training due to the absences of Triston Casas (knee) and Romy Gonzalez (shoulder), Sean McAdam of Masslive.com reports.
Casas continues to recover from major knee surgery last May, and Gonzalez has been shelved since September due to a left shoulder injury. Kiner-Falefa has typically served at second base, third and shortstop during his major-league career, but the veteran utility man could get some looks at first during spring training and early in the regular season behind Willson Contreras.
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Red Sox's Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Lands one-year deal with Boston
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Kiner-Falefa signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Red Sox on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Kiner-Falefa spent time with the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2025, slashing .262/.297/.334 with 40 RBI, 45 runs scored and 15 stolen bases across 459 regular-season plate appearances. The 30-year-old's career .262 batting average and ability to play three infield positions will help him to crack the starting nine occasionally, but he's unlikely to secure regular starts for the Red Sox.
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Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Grabbing another start Friday
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Kiner-Falefa will start at second base and bat eighth in Friday's ALCS Game 5 against the Mariners.
With Anthony Santander (back) removed from the ALCS roster ahead of Game 4, the Blue Jays have shifted Addison Barger to right field and Ernie Clement to third base while installing Kiner-Falefa at the keystone for the second straight contest. Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in the Blue Jays' Game 4 victory.
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Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Claimed by Blue Jays
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The Blue Jays claimed Kiner-Falefa off waivers from the Pirates on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 30-year-old was placed on outright waivers by the Pirates on Friday, and the Blue Jays will pay what remains of his $7.5 million salary for 2025. Kiner-Falefa was a lineup regular at shortstop and third base for Pittsburgh but is likely to operate as more of a true utility player in Toronto.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Idle for series finale
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Kiner-Falefa is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
Pittsburgh placed Kiner-Falefa on outright waivers Friday, but he proceeded to start the ensuing two games. Cam Devanney will pick up his first career start at third base in place of the veteran infielder.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Getting breather
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Kiner-Falefa is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Blue Jays.
Kiner-Falefa will receive a day of rest after starting each of the previous eight games. The Pirates will shift Jared Triolo over to third base and install Liover Peguero at shortstop in Wednesday's series finale.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Tallies three hits
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Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Reds.
Kiner-Falefa has started seven of Pittsburgh's last eight games at third base, with Jared Triolo serving as the primary shortstop. While he provides very little power, Kiner-Falefa has performed well across his last 10 starts by collecting 13 hits across 39 at-bats with eight RBI, nine runs scored and two stolen bases. While Liover Peguero has slowly begun to work his way into more playing time, Triolo looks more likely to be at risk of losing starts relative to Kiner-Falefa.
Kiner-Falefa isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Reds.
Kiner-Falefa will get a day to reset after going 3-for-17 with an RBI and three runs scored across Pittsburgh's last five contests. His absence will move Jared Triolo to third base, allowing Liover Peguero to start at shortstop.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: On bench for series finale
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Kiner-Falefa is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.
Liover Peguero will move over to shortstop Sunday after a massive three-homer game as the first baseman Saturday, leaving no room in the lineup for Kiner-Falefa. Even if Peguero is handed an everyday role at shortstop over the final two months of the season, Kiner-Falefa could retain playing time by shifting over to third base, where Pittsburgh has an opening after trading Ke'Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Knocks in three
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Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 17-16 loss to the Rockies.
Kiner-Falefa delivered an RBI single in the first inning and followed that up with a two-RBI double four frames later. The performance extended his hitting streak to a modest four games, during which he's delivered five RBI and four runs scored. With Kiner-Falefa staying put with Pittsburgh through the trade deadline, he should remain the team's primary shortstop for the rest of the campaign.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Not starting Tuesday
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Kiner-Falefa isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants.
Kiner-Falefa will get a chance to rest his legs after driving in two RBI and scoring during Monday's contest. His absence will allow Liover Peguero to pick up a start at shortstop while batting ninth.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Knocks in two
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Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Monday against the Giants.
Kiner-Falefa narrowly missed a home run on a fly ball to center field in the second inning, though he still managed to drive in two after it bounced off the wall. Like many of the Pirates' regulars, he has struggled to produce much at the plate in July, going just 15-for-66 with six RBI and four runs scored across 21 games. Kiner-Falefa is also a trade candidate, so he may begin to lose out on playing time if he is dealt to a contender.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Four hits in Sunday's win
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Kiner-Falefa went 4-for-4 on Sunday against the Twins.
Kiner-Falefa singled in all four of his plate appearances Sunday, marking his first multi-hit effort in his last 12 starts. He still has a .274 average for the season, though his production has otherwise been empty -- he has just one home run, 23 RBI and 26 runs scored in 83 games.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Knocks in two runs
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Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-3 with a two-run single in Wednesday's 5-0 win over St. Louis.
Kiner-Falefa doubled the Pirates' lead in the seventh inning with a two-run single that brought Ke'Bryan Hayes and Tommy Pham home. Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one hit in seven of his last eight games and has gone 8-for-27 (.296) with one steal and five RBI over that span.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Drives in pair in win
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Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Cardinals.
Kiner-Falefa came through in a big spot, lining a two-run single in the seventh inning to extend the lead. The hit was his sixth in the past five games, and he continued a productive stretch in which the 30-year-old has gone 8-for-27 (.292) with a triple and five RBI over his last eight contests.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Out of Sunday's lineup
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Kiner-Falefa is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.
Kiner-Falefa will head to the bench after a run of 17 straight starts, during which he struggled to a .200/.237/.255 slash line at the plate. Jared Triolo will fill in at shortstop Sunday for the Buccos.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: On base twice in win
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Kiner-Falefa went 1-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and a walk Monday against the Brewers.
Kiner-Faelfa delivered the game-winning run on an RBI triple in the sixth inning, his first extra-base hit since June 10. He's had a tough month, going 13-for-64 with five RBI, one stolen base and one run scored across 20 games. Despite the struggles, Kiner-Falefa remains the Pirates' everyday shortstop.
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Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Belts home run in return
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Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Mets.
Kiner-Falefa slashed .302/.327/.377 with two stolen bases and three RBI in the 15 games prior to his stint on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain. He picked up where he left off Monday, smashing a solo home run to left-center field off David Peterson in the second frame. Kiner-Falefa added a single in the sixth frame to log his seventh multi-hit game of the season, and he has a career-best .704 OPS over 113 plate appearances this year.
