Top Pirates News
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Pirates' Alexander Canario: Out of Pittsburgh lineup
Canario is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Brewers.
Canario had started the previous four contests and 11 of the last 12 tilts, but he'll get a breather in Thursday's series opener. Tommy Pham is handling left field and batting eighth for the Pirates.
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Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes: Scores twice in win
Hayes went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored Wednesday against the Reds.
Hayes reached base multiple times for the first time in his last five starts and also scored multiple runs in a game for the first time on the campaign. Despite being an everyday player, Hayes continues to underwhelm as a fantasy option with only a .247 average, one homer and five stolen bases across 189 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Henry Davis: Key role in win
Davis went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk Wednesday against the Reds.
Davis continues getting only sporadic playing time, but he does have at least one hit in each of his last three starts. He played a key role in Wednesday's win, driving in a run with a single in the fourth inning. Davis also applied a key tag at home plate to end the sixth frames to preserve a 2-1 lead for the Pirates. Joey Bart is likely to continue to get the majority of playing time behind the plate, but Davis is showing modest signs of potential.
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Pirates' Nick Gonzales: Recovering from sore hand
Gonzales (ankle) hasn't appeared in any rehab games for Triple-A Indianapolis since Sunday after being hit by a pitch on his right hand, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Gonzales was transferred to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, but the transaction seemingly wasn't reflective of any major concern about the hand issue being a significant concern for the 25-year-old infielder, who has been on the shelf since March 28 due to a non-displaced left ankle fracture. X-rays on Gonzales' hand came back negative, and he's expected to be reassessed Thursday before the Pirates decide whether the soreness and swelling in his hand has subsided enough for him to return to game action at Indianapolis. Given the length of his absence due to the ankle injury, Gonzales will likely need at least a few more games in the minors to stack up at-bats and regain his timing at the dish before the Pirates activate him. He's first eligible for reinstatement next Tuesday.
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Pirates' Colin Holderman: Consultation for thumb on tap
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Holderman has been diagnosed with right thumb tenosynovitis and is scheduled to visit a specialist in Arizona next week, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Pittsburgh had initially labeled Holderman's injury as thumb inflammation when he was placed on the injured list Tuesday, but follow-up tests revealed that the right-hander is actually dealing with tenosynovitis, a condition Tomczyk said is "very debilitating for anybody that has a career in gripping and throwing a baseball." The upcoming visit with a specialist should shed more light on a treatment plan for Holderman, but based on Tomczyk's foreboding comments, the 29-year-old reliever appears likely to be sidelined beyond the minimum 15 days.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Out with strained shoulder
The Pirates announced Wednesday that Barco has been diagnosed with a mild muscle strain in his left shoulder, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Triple-A Indianapolis placed Barco on its 7-day injured list Sunday, but the 24-year-old isn't expected to be headed for an extended absence. He's since resumed throwing out to 120 feet after suffering the injury, which bodes well for his chances of returning to action at Indianapolis before the end of the month or perhaps in early June. Barco made two starts for the Triple-A club since being promoted earlier this month after opening the season with a 34:7 K:BB over 25.2 scoreless frames in six starts with Double-A Altoona.
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Pirates' Justin Lawrence: Set for three more weeks of rest
Lawrence recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow and will rest for three weeks before beginning a throwing program, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Lawrence has resided on the injured list since April 23 after being diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow. Though he's been out for nearly a month, Lawrence's condition hadn't shown much improvement, but the Pirates are hopeful that the PRP injection will provide some relief. The right-hander will likely operate as a middle reliever or setup man once he's ready to return from the IL, perhaps shortly before the All-Star break or soon after.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Notches fifth save
Santana struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his fifth save of the season in a 3-1 win over the Reds.
David Bednar worked Monday and Tuesday and collected the save in the latter game, leaving him unavailable Wednesday afternoon. Santana also worked the eighth inning Tuesday but was still fresh enough to remain a perfect 5-for-5 in converting save chances this season. Bednar appears to have inched back ahead in the pecking order for the Pirates' closer job, but Santana's 1.77 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB through 20.1 innings on the year will keep him firmly in the high-leverage mix.
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Pirates' Andrew Heaney: Sharp in third win
Heaney (3-3) picked up the win in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over the Reds, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four.
The veteran southpaw tossed 64 of 97 pitches for strikes as he gave up two runs or fewer for the third straight start, and the seventh time in 10 trips to the mound this season. Heaney's been far from dominant -- he managed only nine swinging strikes Wednesday and sports a 14:9 K:BB in 19.2 innings over four starts in May -- but he continues to avoid hard contact, and all three hits he gave up to the Reds were singles. He'll take a 2.91 ERA and 1.13 WHIP into his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Arizona.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Facing 10-to-12-month recovery
The Pirates announced that Jones underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair the UCL in his right elbow. Jones is projected to return to full competition in 10-to-12 months.
Jones will miss the rest of the season, but the positive news is that his elbow procedure wasn't a standard Tommy John surgery, which would have carried a lengthier recovery timeline. The projected 10-to-12-month recovery window from surgery still likely means that Jones will open the 2026 season on the injured list, though an April or May return to the Pittsburgh rotation could be in the cards if he experiences no snags in the recovery process. Jones should be ready to begin a throwing program by the winter, and a firmer target date for his 2026 debut will likely come into focus during spring training.
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Pirates' Enmanuel Valdez: Done for season after surgery
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Valdez recently underwent season-ending surgery on his dislocated left shoulder, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Tomczyk estimated that Valdez would require about six months of recovery time, so the 26-year-old utility man should be back to full strength or close to it for spring training. Before being shut down with what was initially labeled as an inflamed left shoulder before it was determined he suffered a dislocation, Valdez played in 31 games for the Pirates and slashed .209/.294/.363 with two home runs, 12 RBI and seven runs across 102 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Season-ending surgery confirmed
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Jones will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday on his right elbow, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tomczyk didn't indicate whether the upcoming procedure will be Tommy John surgery, an internal brace surgery or another kind of surgery, so Jones' status for the 2026 season won't be immediately known until more details are provided. Even if the 23-year-old righty doesn't need to miss much time to begin the 2026 season, he could struggle to immediately regain his pre-surgery velocity and command, making him a risky investment in fantasy leagues.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Gets demoted Wednesday
The Pirates optioned Mlodzinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.
As expected, Mlodzinski will head back to the minors while the Pirates open up a spot in the rotation for right-hander Mike Burrows, who was called up from Triple-A in advance of his first MLB start Thursday versus the Brewers. After winning a spot in the Opening Day rotation coming out of spring training, Mlodzinski struggled over his nine starts, going 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB in 39.2 innings. He might stay stretched out as a member of the Indianapolis rotation, but Mlodzinski could be ticketed for the bullpen the next time he receives a call-up to Pittsburgh.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Promoted ahead of start Thursday
The Pirates recalled Burrows from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh had been expected to wait until Thursday to make Burrows' promotion official, but he'll join the big club a day in advance of his first MLB start Thursday against the Brewers at PNC Park. He'll be joining the rotation as a replacement for righty Carmen Mlodzinski, who was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old righty has been a standout performer at Indianapolis this season, logging a 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB across 30 innings.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Shut down at Triple-A
Triple-A Indianapolis placed Barco on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.
Barco sustained the injury at some point during his most recent start for Indianapolis last Thursday, when he was lifted midway through the first inning after allowing two earned runs on one hit and three walks. The 24-year-old lefty had enjoyed a strong start to the season prior to that outing, producing a 0.30 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 39:10 K:BB across 30 innings over his seven starts between Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona.
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Pirates' Alexander Canario: Moving into regular role
Canario will start in right field and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Reds.
With Andrew McCutchen getting a breather for the afternoon game and with Bryan Reynolds occupying the designated-hitter spot, the Pirates will have room at the corner-outfield spots for both Canario and Tommy Pham. However, the Pirates are seemingly prioritizing Canario ahead of Pham when McCutchen is in the lineup, as Canario will pick up his seventh start in the Bucs' last eight games, while Pham is getting just his third start during that stretch. Canario owns a modest .654 OPS on the season, but that still represents a big upgrade over the .481 OPS that Pham has provided.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Ousted from rotation
The Pirates are expected to option Mlodzinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
After working primarily in relief over his first two seasons in the big leagues, Mlodzinski surprisingly emerged from spring training as a member of the Pirates' Opening Day rotation, but he always appeared to be little more than a placeholder until one of Pittsburgh's many starting pitching prospects was deemed big-league ready. Right-hander Mike Burrows is in line to get a call-up from Triple-A and will enter the rotation Thursday against the Brewers in place of Mlodzinski, who covered five innings in just three of his nine starts on the season while submitting a 5.67 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 8.9 K-BB%. He'll presumably stay stretched out as a member of the rotation at Indianapolis, though Mlodzinski could work out of the bullpen the next time he gets the call back to the big club.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Getting day off
Bart is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Reds.
Bart started at catcher in both of the first two games of the series, so he will get some rest for Wednesday's rubber match. Henry Davis will start at catcher and bat ninth for the Pirates.
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Team Statistical Rankings
| Avg | R | HR | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team |
.218 (29th) |
146 (30th) |
33 (29th) |
3.97 (17th) |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| J. Jones SP Jared Jones SP | Elbow |
| N. Gonzales 2B Nick Gonzales 2B | Ankle |
| E. Rodriguez 1B Endy Rodriguez 1B | Finger |
| E. Valdez 1B Enmanuel Valdez 1B | Shoulder |
| J. Lawrence RP Justin Lawrence RP | Elbow |
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