Pirates promote 6 to Triple-A Indianapolis, including a pair of top-100 prospects
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The Pittsburgh Pirates have promoted six players from Double-A Altoona to Triple-A Indianapolis, including top-100 prospects in right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester and catcher Endy Rodriguez.
Joining them will be first baseman Malcon Nunez, outfielder Matt Gorski, infielder Aaron Shackelford and right-handed reliever Colin Selby.
Priester, a 2019 first-round pick, is ranked the No. 46 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 64 by Baseball America. After missing the start of the season with an oblique injury, the 22-year-old went 4-4 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 75 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings in 15 starts at Altoona.
Rodriguez, also 22, was acquired from the New York Mets in the three-way trade that sent Joe Musgrove to San Diego in January 2021. He played 88 games at High-A Greensboro before being promoted to Altoona, and leads all Pirates minor leaguers in RBIs (87), slugging percentage (.580), OPS (.986), hits (138), doubles (37), extra-base hits (64) and runs scored (90). Defensively, he has a .993 fielding percentage (five errors in 702 total chances) over 623 innings behind the plate this season, and has thrown out 31.5% of baserunners trying to steal (29 caught stealing in 92 attempts.
Nunez, 21, was acquired from St. Louis in the Jose Quintana trade Aug. 1. He split the season between Double-A Springfield (85 games) and Altoona (29), batting .263 with 16 doubles, 22 home runs and 87 RBIs. He hit .286, scored 20 runs and had 21 RBIs with the Curve. Nunez is ranked the Pirates’ No. 12 prospect by MLB Pipeline, No. 16 by Baseball America.
The promotion is a homecoming for Gorski, a Fishers, Ind., native who played at the University of Indiana. Gorski, 24, led all Pirates minor leaguers with 23 home runs — 11 more than anyone else — 60 RBIs, a .664 slugging percentage, 1.039 OPS, 37 extra-base hits, 156 total bases and 56 runs scored before being sidelined by a quadriceps injury June 30. He hit .278 with 24 home runs and 20 stolen bases across Low-A Bradenton, Greensboro and Altoona. Gorski is ranked the Pirates’ No. 22 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 25 by Baseball America.
Shackelford, 25, hit 26 home runs with 79 RBIs and a .499 slugging percentage in 110 games with Altoona.
Selby, 24, was 2-2 with a 2.20 ERA and eight saves in 26 appearances.