Pirates/MLB category, Page 150
Pirates pitcher Max Kranick out 14-16 months after Tommy John surgery
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Max Kranick underwent surgery last week to repair the UCL in his right elbow and will be out 14 to 16 months, team director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday. Kranick was shut down during the offseason with forearm soreness and reaggravated the injury after pitching...
Josh VanMeter’s fractured finger has Pirates experimenting with padding
The first thing Todd Tomczyk wanted to know when he saw the fractured ring fielder on Josh VanMeter’s hand was who threw the ball and what the velocity was. The Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine was amazed at the damage the throw — believed to be from third baseman...
With the help of baseball’s analytics, Tyler Heineman catching on with Pirates
Tyler Heineman claims he was no math whiz at UCLA. The only number that mattered to him as a student-athlete in 2012 was his .332 batting average that helped get him drafted in the eighth round by the Houston Astros. But now he’s a pro, and he’s made 10 starts...
Tarik Skubal starts from scratch, as Tigers top Pirates after rain delay
Tarik Skubal started from scratch and kept the Pittsburgh Pirates from scratching out a win. The 25-year-old Detroit Tigers left-hander was scheduled to start against the Pirates on Tuesday night before being scratched at the outset of a rain delay and then was reinserted into the starting lineup. The uncertainty...
Pirates farm report for June 7, 2022: Rodolfo Castro homers in return to Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 27-26) outslugged Columbus (Guardians), 9-6. 3B Rodolfo Castro (.247), sent down by the Pirates on Sunday, went 1 for 5 with a 461-foot home run, his third. LF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.273) went 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs. 1B Mason Martin (.228) went 1 for...
Pirates place LHP Dillon Peters on 15-day IL, recall Aaron Fletcher to bolster bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen took a blow when left-handed reliever Dillon Peters was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a low back strain. Peters (4-2, 3.86 ERA) tossed multiple innings in seven of his 12 relief outings this season and had pitched 12 scoreless innings in seven games...
First Call: More details on Aaron Donald’s new contract; Ravens DB flustered with NFL video game; Pirates’ path to staying hot
Tuesday’s “First Call” has the details on Aaron Donald’s contract. We look at what lies ahead for the suddenly competitive Pittsburgh Pirates. And we offer up a little Penguins contrast to the firing of Bruce Cassidy in Boston. Plus, a Baltimore Raven is in a “fowl” mood about the EA...
Pirates show appreciation for Tigers star Miguel Cabrera in possible last visit to PNC Park
Mitch Keller was making the third start of his major-league career when he faced Miguel Cabrera, the Detroit Tigers star who was the last major-league hitter to win the Triple Crown. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander remembers watching Cabrera on “Sunday Night Baseball” with his father, so Keller was surprised to...
‘You start to daydream’: With 7 rookies on roster, Pirates get a glimpse of their future
The Pittsburgh Pirates provided Derek Shelton a peek into the future by filling their roster with rookies, allowing the manager to dream about the days when his dugout is teeming with young talent. Where having a handful of veteran starters on the injured list had the potential to be devastating,...
Pirates farm report for June 5, 2022: Dylan Shockley’s walk-off single lifts Curve to victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 26-26) had its game at Omaha (Royals) postponed because of inclement weather. The game will be made up at a later date. The Indians play again at Omaha from Sept. 6-11. Next: Tuesday vs. Columbus (Guardians), 7:05 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 25-26) beat Bowie (Orioles), 3-2, on a walk-off...
Former Pirates 1st-round pick Travis Swaggerty pumped to get call-up, ready for MLB debut
Travis Swaggerty was getting dressed in his Indianapolis Indians uniform Saturday when he felt a tap on the shoulder. Manager Miguel Perez wanted to see the outfielder into his office. “He talked to me about (how) I was playing well and what I can improve on and all that,” Swaggerty...
Cal Mitchell’s 1st major league homer boosts Pirates to shutout of Diamondbacks
Sundays are Kids Days at PNC Park, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Pittsburgh Pirates relied on their rookies. Cal Mitchell crushed his first major-league home run, Jack Suwinski hit a pair of doubles and Diego Castillo drove him in with a sacrifice fly as the Pirates...
Diamondbacks claim Cole Tucker off waivers, ending former 1st-rounder’s tenure with Pirates
Cole Tucker, the former Pittsburgh Pirates first-round pick who was designated for assignment Monday, was claimed off waivers Sunday by the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s a homecoming for Tucker, 25, who was drafted No. 24 overall as a shortstop out of Mountain Pointe High School in 2014 and makes his offseason...
After latest gaffes, Pirates option Rodolfo Castro to make room for OF Travis Swaggerty
The arrival of one Pittsburgh Pirates rookie came at the expense of another, as infielder Rodolfo Castro was optioned Sunday to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room on the roster for outfielder Travis Swaggerty one day after making a pair of costly gaffes against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Castro, 23, batted .197...
Pirates farm report for June 4, 2022: Oneil Cruz hits 8th homer in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 26-26) gave up three runs in the bottom of the seventh and lost to Omaha (Royals), 7-6. SS Oneil Cruz (.223) went 2 for 4 with a lead-off home run, his eighth. DH Bligh Madris (.265) was 2 for 4 with a homer, his fifth. 2B Hoy Park...
Pirates promoting 2018 1st-round pick OF Travis Swaggerty for MLB debut
The Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting outfielder Travis Swaggerty in time for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team source confirmed. Swaggerty, 24, signed for a $4.4 million after being drafted with the No. 10 overall selection in 2018 out of South Alabama, where he was regarded as one of...
Jack Suwinski’s walk-off home run lifts Pirates to comeback win over Diamondbacks
After hitting the first walk-off home run of his career and receiving a celebratory ice bath, Jack Suwinski couldn’t suppress his smile. On Faith Night at PNC Park, he turned Pirates fans into believers. Just when the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder was satisfied with extending his ninth-inning at-bat against Arizona...
How Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes used ‘squishy’ balls to eliminate errors
Ke’Bryan Hayes quickly has earned a reputation as one of the best defensive players in baseball, so the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman shakes his head when he looks at one important statistic. Hayes had seven errors through the first 50 games this season — including three in a five-game span...
Pirates farm report for June 3, 2022: Travis Swaggerty stays hot for Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 26-25) rallied past Omaha (Royals), 5-2. CF Travis Swaggerty (.280) went 2 for 4 and hit a go-ahead three-run homer, his fourth, in the seventh inning. He also doubled. In his last seven games, Swaggerty is 12 for 29 with two home runs and eight RBIs. 1B Mason...
Diamondbacks homer 5 times, hold off 9th-inning rally to top Pirates
JT Brubaker’s worst enemy returned, as the right-hander set an ominous tone for the Pittsburgh Pirates by serving up long balls. Brubaker surrendered three home runs, including a two-run shot to Ketel Marte for the go-ahead runs, as the Arizona Diamondbacks went deep five times. Then it almost came back...
Pirates GM on sweeping Dodgers: ‘You’ve got to celebrate and turn the page really quickly’
Watching the Pittsburgh Pirates sweep a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers had a profound impact on Ben Cherington, but not necessarily the way one would expect. “I thought it threw off my sleep schedule,” Cherington joked Friday at PNC Park. The Pirates general manager was measured in his...
Pirates’ David Bednar named NL reliever of the month
David Bednar punctuated a marvelous month with a “gritty” two-inning, 50-pitch outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers and an expletive to express his excitement. After notching seven saves in May, the Pittsburgh Pirates closer was named NL reliever of the month. “It’s cool. It’s definitely an honor but, ultimately, it...
First Call: Ex-Pirate flirts with perfect game; David Bednar named a top trade candidate; Steelers linked to free agent tackleVideo
Friday’s “First Call” has a free agent connection to the Steelers. The NFL is shelving covid-19 testing. An ex-Pirate pitcher turned in a fantastic effort Thursday. And is David Bednar destined to be traded off the Pirates roster? Going “Fishing”? ESPN.com published a list of the top 10 remaining free...
Pirates farm report for June 2, 2022: Andres Alvarez homer lifts Altoona to win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 25-25) was held in check by Omaha (Royals), 4-1. CF Travis Swaggerty (.273) went 2 for 4. DH Bligh Madris (.257) went 2 for 3 with a home run, his fourth. 1B Mason Martin (.233) went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. SS Oneil Cruz (.216) returned after...
Against the odds, Pirates overcome injuries, inexperience, low payroll to sweep Dodgers
Against all odds, the Pirates this week swept a three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles for the first time since 2000. How the heck did that happen? Consider: • The Dodgers’ payroll of $280,839,078 at the start of the season led the majors and was nearly six times...
