Pirates: Starling Marte’s suspension is almost over

The Pirates will soon be getting their star outfielder Starling Marte back. With his availability over 50 percent, pick him up now.

The Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders have hit very well this season and in recent weeks. I just wonder how better they and the team as a whole would be if Starling Marte wasn’t suspended. Luckily, he is close to returning and if he was dropped in your league, you should pick him up.

Marte was suspended for 80 games back in April for failing a PED test. Now, I’m not here to talk about the ethics of PEDs or if they should be allowed. I’m here to talk about the impact his suspension had and eventual return will have on fantasy.

Before getting suspended, Marte was hitting .241 with two home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored with two steals. He was off to a slow start but he only had 13 games under his belt. As a third-round pick, he’s been a disappointment because of the suspension.

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Marte is beginning his rehab assignment on Sunday, starting with High-A Bradenton. He is eligible to return on July 18. He’ll be spending the next two weeks getting back into the swing of things.

For fantasy owners, his return will give an added boost to a banged up outfield pool. Marte’s original owners dropped him as soon as the news was announced. It’s difficult to keep someone on your bench that won’t play for 80 games.

But with news of his expected return, some of his previous owners, as well as potential new ones, looking for an outfielder have targeted Marte. His ownership percentage increased by 7.4 percent over the last week.

Let’s hope that Marte works on his plate discipline while in the minors. He had just three walks along with 17 strikeouts in earlier this season. Marte’s batted ball stats are a down a bit in some areas, too. His soft hit rate is five percent and ground ball rate is two percent higher than last year.

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These things can quickly improve with his time in the minors and increased bat speed. Marte is a top-10 outfielder and will be the rest of the season. If you are looking for help in the second half, add Marte and stash him for his return. It’ll be worth the wait.