Pirates recall INF Liover Peguero from Triple-A, option RHP Hunter Stratton to Indy
The Pittsburgh Pirates added infield depth Friday ahead of their series-opening game vs. the San Diego Padres, recalling shortstop Liover Peguero from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Per manager Derek Shelton, that move comes as a result of fellow shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa dealing with “some lower-body stuff.” Kiner-Falefa had a day off Thursday vs. the Chicago Cubs.
Kiner-Falefa also will not be in the lineup Friday vs. San Diego.
In a corresponding transaction, righty reliever Hunter Stratton was sent to Triple-A, creating a 26-man roster spot for Peguero.
Peguero, 24, earned his first big-league recall of 2025. Through 24 games with Indianapolis, Peguero was batting .258 with a home run, 12 RBIs, seven walks and 16 strikeouts.
Defensively, he has floated around the infield, playing 12 games at shortstop and six games apiece at second and third base.
Last season, he made three September appearances with the Pirates. He played 59 games in 2023, his most extensive MLB campaign to date.
That year, he slashed .237/.280/.374 with seven homers and 26 RBIs.
Once the Pirates’ No. 6 overall prospect (2023), per MLB Pipeline, Peguero’s star within the organization has somewhat dimmed due to pedestrian offensive output and defensive congestion at his positions at the MLB level.
As for Stratton, his first taste of big-league action in 2025 ends following some rough outings.
Stratton, 28, allowed runs in both of his relief appearances April 29 and May 1 vs. the Cubs.
In Thursday’s 8-3 defeat, he took the mound for the ninth inning and was tagged for three runs on four hits.
He heads back to Triple-A with an ERA of 21.60.
Stratton’s April 29 appearance was his first in the majors since Aug. 24, 2024, when he ruptured his left patella tendon against the Cincinnati Reds.
After recovering, Stratton made one spring training appearance at the end of March before beginning the season with the Indians, for whom he was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA over 10 games at the time he was recalled.
Note: Right-handed reliever Dennis Santana rejoined the Pirates on Friday following a stint on the bereavement list. Per Shelton, he was not available out of the bullpen Friday.
Justin Guerriero is a TribLive reporter covering the Penguins, Pirates and college sports. A Pittsburgh native, he is a Central Catholic and University of Colorado graduate. He joined the Trib in 2022 after covering the Colorado Buffaloes for Rivals and freelancing for the Denver Post. He can be reached at jguerriero@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.