Pirates/MLB category, Page 149
Ke’Bryan Hayes out of Pirates starting lineup; pitcher Austin Brice promoted from Triple-A
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ injury suffered while colliding with Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras on Thursday is serious enough to keep him out of the starting lineup Friday for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ game against the Rays in Tampa, Fla. Hoy Park will start at third base. Meanwhile, the Pirates called up veteran...
After ‘scary moment’ in home plate collision, Pirates hoping for a healthy Ke’Bryan Hayes
In a scene described as a “scary moment,” the Pittsburgh Pirates held their collective breath when Ke’Bryan Hayes remained facedown after a headfirst slide into home plate produced a collision with Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. Hayes became a franchise cornerstone when he signed an eight-year, $70 million contract in...
After Pirates’ bats got healthy against Cubs, the challenge will increase in Tampa
Hopefully, Pirates fans got a good look at Oneil Cruz and the rest of the Pirates young guns during their recent series win over the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Because the Pirates are embarking on a weeklong road trip, and they’ll face some pretty good competition over the next...
Tim Benz: Jam-packed half-hour for Michael Chavis ends up telling whole story for Pirates
Michael Chavis seemed disappointed that he hadn’t impacted Thursday’s Pirates-Cubs game much. He was 0 for 3, and over at first base, he hadn’t been given much of an opportunity to impact the game defensively. Yet once the game was over, Chavis was at the center of the three biggest...
Pirates farm report for June 23, 2022: Yoshi Tsutsugo goes 3 for 3 on rehab stint with Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 34-33) gave up a run in the eighth to lose to Memphis (Cardinals), 4-3. 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo (back), on a rehab assignment, went 3 for 3 with a walk. SS Kevin Newman (groin) went 1 for 4. RF Ben Gamel (hamstring) went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts....
Michael Chavis hits tying homer, single in 10th for Pirates in walk-off win over Cubs
When Michael Chavis hit a bloop that dropped in shallow right field for a single, Ke’Bryan Hayes sprinted toward home plate and slid head-first into catcher Willson Contreras to score the winning run. When Hayes remained facedown on the ground, it tempered the celebration of the Pittsburgh Pirates winning 8-7...
Pirates farm report for June 22, 2022: 5 Indy pitchers combine on 5-hit shutout
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 34-32) blanked Memphis (Cardinals), 2-0, as five pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout. RHP Osvaldo Bido (4.86) started and allowed one hit in four innings with four strikeouts. LHP Zach Matson (7.20) pitched two scoreless innings of relief. LHP Joe Jacques (1-1, 16.20), RHP Hunter Stratton (4.88) and...
Pirates injury update: Reliever Nick Mears experiences forearm tightness in rehab outing
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, the road to recovery for a handful of players starts in Indianapolis. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said shortstop Kevin Newman (hamstring), first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo (lower back) and infielder Josh VanMeter (finger) played “with no issues” for the Triple-A affiliate Tuesday night and...
Pirates add RHP Jerad Eickhoff to start against Cubs, DFA reliever Heath Hembree
With Zach Thompson missing his scheduled start after being placed on the 15-day injured list, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to right-hander Jerad Eickhoff to pitch Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs. Thompson was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday with right forearm nerve inflammation, so to select Eickhoff from...
‘It was truly amazing’: Pirates rookie OF Bligh Madris cherishes 1st homer in 2nd game
Bligh Madris took a slow curveball for a called strike on the first pitch, so the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder was expecting something hard on the next when right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. threw a cutter inside. Madris connected to send a 394-foot solo shot to right-center for the first home...
Cubs pound Pirates starter Jerad Eickhoff on way to blowout win
When the Pittsburgh Pirates needed a starting pitcher in a pinch, they turned to Jerad Eickhoff because the right-hander had 80 career starts over six major league seasons. That it ended with Pirates second baseman Diego Castillo on the mound facing a Cubs pitcher in the ninth inning was indicative...
Pirates farm report for June 21, 2022: VanMeter, Newman, Tsutsugo begin rehab stints
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 33-32) scored five runs in the seventh inning to beat Memphis (Cardinals), 7-4. Three players started rehab assignments. 2B Josh VanMeter (finger) went 1 for 2 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI. SS Kevin Newman (groin) went 1 for 2 with a double. 1B Yoshi...
Pirates cruise past Cubs for 3rd consecutive win
If Derek Shelton couldn’t single out one Pittsburgh Pirates player as a key against the Chicago Cubs, it’s because six players got hits and scored runs. Sparked by solo home runs from Michael Perez and Bligh Madris — who hit the first of his career — and two RBIs from...
Pirates acquire pitcher Eric Stout from Cubs
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired left-handed pitcher Eric Stout from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday in exchange for cash. He was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis and added to the 40-man roster. Stout, 29, allowed two runs in 3 2/3 innings in two games for the Cubs this season. The left-handed reliever...
Things got squirrely for Pirates, Cubs at PNC Park
There are no trees inside PNC Park, but a squirrel wormed his way onto the playing field Monday night, briefly interrupting play before the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Michael Chavis stepped to the plate in the second inning. While many in the crowd of 11,312 cheered and laughed, head groundskeeper Matt Brown...
First Call: Devin Bush in make-or-break season; Pirates rookie makes history; Gerrit Cole flirts with no-hitter
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a warning shot to Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush. One of the Pirates new rookies was part of history in Monday night’s win. And ex-Pirate Gerrit Cole nearly spun a no hitter in Tampa Bay. Time to shine On Monday, CBS Sports listed Steelers linebacker Devin...
Pirates’ Oneil Cruz shows off cannon arm, clocks fastest throw in MLB this season
When a baseball leaves rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz’s hand at an outrageous speed — something that happened Monday night at PNC Park — first baseman Michael Chavis tries not to worry. He can withstand a little pain in his hand. If the throw breaks the webbing in Chavis’ glove, oh,...
Oneil Cruz, Bligh Madris make dazzling debuts as Pirates crush Cubs
Oneil Cruz promised there were plenty of hard hits traveling long distances to come for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he didn’t disappoint in his long-awaited season debut. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound shortstop put on a dazzling display of speed, arm strength and power at the plate that showed why he was...
Pirates’ Bligh Madris far from an afterthought making MLB debut
Miguel Perez had some news Sunday he wanted to share with his Indianapolis players. So, everyone gathered around the Indians manager after the 5-3 road victory against the Gwinnett (Ga.) Stripers. The news: Shortstop Oneil Cruz, the No. 3 prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system, had been called up...
After playing waiting game, Pirates No. 1 prospect Oneil Cruz arrives with plans to stay
Oneil Cruz not only got a taste of playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates last October but gave a glimpse of greatness: After setting a club Statcast-era record with a 118.2-mph exit velocity in his debut, he dropped to one knee to hit an ankle-high pitch for a home run the...
Pirates put Zach Thompson on IL, send Liover Peguero to Double-A; Oneil Cruz, Bligh Madris prepare to start tonight
The Pittsburgh Pirates opened up roster space for Oneil Cruz and Bligh Madris to make their 2022 major-league debuts Monday night by placing starting pitcher Zach Thompson on the 15-day injured list with right forearm nerve inflammation and optioning shortstop Liover Peguero back to Double-A Altoona. Cruz and Madris were...
Pirates farm report for June 19, 2022: Homers by Rodolfo Castro, Travis Swaggerty lift Indy to victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 32-32) beat Gwinnett (Braves), 5-3. SS Rodolfo Castro (.213) smacked a three-run home run, and CF Travis Swaggerty (.276) hit a two-run shot to fuel the Indy victory. DH Carter Bins (.216) was 2 for 4. LF Oneil Cruz (.232) was 0 for 1 as a pinch-hitter before...
‘Now’s the time that he’s going to help us’: Pirates call up top prospect in SS Oneil Cruz
The Pittsburgh Pirates are making the much-anticipated promotion their fans have been awaiting by calling up Oneil Cruz, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound shortstop who is their No. 1 prospect. Pirates manager Derek Shelton confirmed after Sunday’s 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants that Cruz and outfielder Bligh Madris will be...
‘Just unbelievable’: Pirates rookie Jack Suwinski hits 3 homers in walk-off win over Giants
Jack Suwinski already was amid his first multi-home run game of his career when Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton asked the 23-year-old rookie outfielder a question while he waited in the hole in the eighth inning. “Did you ever have three homers in a game?” Shelton said. “He said, ‘No.’...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: ‘There’s a chance’ Oneil Cruz could be promoted this homestand
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington didn’t rule out the possibility that shortstop Oneil Cruz, the club’s top prospect, could be promoted to the majors during the final four games of this homestand. “There’s a chance, sure,” Cherington said Sunday on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan. “We’ll have...
