Kevin Gorman stories, Page 51

BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Pittsburgh Pirates returned to Pirate City for spring training, JT Brubaker found a sense of normalcy — something that’s been missing for the right-hander since 2018. After being shelved with forearm soreness in 2019, the 29-year-old has dealt with a variety of disruptions and distractions...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller made it his goal to be the starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day in Cincinnati, and the right-hander will be on the mound for their spring training opener. Keller will start Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays when they open Grapefruit League...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Termarr Johnson is disappointed that his first major-league spring training was interrupted by an injury, but the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2022 first-round pick hopes for a quick recovery. Johnson was shut down for 10-14 days with a right hamstring strain, an injury that occurred when he was fielding...

Termarr Johnson, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first-round pick and one of their top prospects, has been shut down from spring training after straining his right hamstring. The 18-year-old second baseman was selected No. 4 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Atlanta’s Mays High School and signed to a $7...

Roansy Contreras worked on his changeup and curveball over the offseason in an effort to round out his repertoire with pitches that can play off his four-seam fastball and slider. The 23-year-old right-hander showed that he belongs in the major leagues last year by going 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA...

BRADENTON, Fla. — The daughter of a man who collapsed on the field at Pittsburgh Pirates spring training practice Tuesday morning credited the team’s medical and training staff for saving her father’s life. Ernie Withers, 68, of Bradenton, Fla., was shagging fly balls in the outfield when he went into...

BRADENTON, Fla. — When Mitch Keller personally delivered season tickets to a Pittsburgh Pirates fan late last month, she expressed hope that he would be the starting pitcher for the home opener on April 7. Keller kindly corrected her by saying he really wanted to pitch March 30 in Cincinnati....

BRADENTON, Fla. — Rich Hill is the graybeard of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a 42-year-old left-hander pitching for the 12th team in his 18-year major-league career. Monday’s first full-squad workout at Pirate City marked Hill’s 19th big-league spring training, an achievement he has learned to appreciate. “What matters the most to...

BRADENTON, Fla. — There was something different about the day before the first full-squad workout of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, starting with the black Jaguar parked prominently at Pirate City. It belonged not to one of their high-priced veterans but rather the man who spent $30 million in...

BRADENTON, Fla. — It was a simple spring training game of catch but one that represented so much more for Andrew McCutchen and the Pittsburgh Pirates. First and foremost, McCutchen finally felt back at home while wearing the black and gold colors at Pirate City for the first time in...

The Pittsburgh Pirates won their arbitration hearing with first baseman Ji-Man Choi, who will be paid $4.65 million this season instead of the $5.4 million he requested. Acquired from Tampa Bay in a trade this past November, the 31-year-old has hit .239/.345/.429 with 61 home runs and 225 RBIs in...

DUNEDIN, Fla. — A day after Bryan Reynolds said he would be willing to waive his trade request if the Pittsburgh Pirates offer a contract extension that is a “fair deal for both sides,” general manager Ben Cherington responded by saying the door “will continue to be open.” At Grapefruit...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Oneil Cruz showed as a rookie that one swing can do enough damage to shatter Statcast records, so the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop shared some lofty goals for his first full year in the major leagues. After flashing his unique blend of power and speed by hitting 17...

When Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers and catchers report to spring training Wednesday at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., the 67-man camp will include five prospects who aren’t likely to make the Opening Day roster but could finish the season at PNC Park. Here’s a look at those prospects: Endy Rodriguez The...

When it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen, Derek Shelton won’t divulge defined roles. The Pirates manager has refused to call David Bednar the team’s closer, despite leading their relievers in saves (19) and strikeouts (69) and being selected an All-Star last season. “No, not really,” Shelton said of the...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been touting Mitch Keller as having top-of-the-rotation stuff since he was their top pitching prospect, but the right-hander struggled to show it in his first three major-league seasons. Keller finally gave a glimpse last season, when he led the Pirates in starts (29) and innings pitched...

Coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons for the first time since the 1950s, the Pittsburgh Pirates underwent a roster overhaul and spent $30 million on veterans in free agency. The turnover is dramatic, with only seven players remaining from the 26-man Opening Day roster from last season: closer David Bednar, right-handed...

If the dazzling plays made by Ke’Bryan Hayes didn’t prove he was baseball’s best glove at third base, the measures of metrics made it clear he was the best defender in the game. “I’ve got a lot of confidence anytime a ball is hit over his way,” Pirates outfielder Bryan...

Over the final five weeks of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates played Oneil Cruz and Rodolfo Castro together for 14 games and gave a glimpse of what could become their double-play pairing of the future. A defense featuring the young Dominicans — Cruz turned 24 in October, and Castro turns...