DETROIT - Bryan Reynolds is on the doorstep of a notable milestone, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been careful to make sure he gets there.
Reynolds has appeared in all 159 games this season and is set to start in left field for No. 160 when the Pirates open their series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Sept. 25. If he gets into the final two games of this series, which are also the final two games of 2026, he would finish with a full 162-game season for the first time in his career.
That would put him in rare company for Pittsburgh. The last Pirates player to do it was outfielder Jason Bay in 2005, 21 years ago.
For Reynolds, the run at durability has been a steady part of his career. He played 134 games as a rookie in 2019, when he arrived on April 20, then appeared in 159 games in 2021.
He logged 145 games in both 2022 and 2023, followed by 156 in 2024 and 154 in 2025. The only injury absences he has had came in 2022 with an oblique issue and in 2023 with low back inflammation.
He has also spent time on the paternity list in 2020, 2022 and 2025, a three-game leave that allows a player to be there for the birth of his child.
“It’s just being available, just playing through the little kinks that you might get through the season,” Reynolds said about trying to play every game. “I mean, in college I played every game. I guess that’s kind of always how I’ve been.”
Even when he hasn’t been in the starting lineup, Reynolds has still found a way into the game. He has started all but five contests this year, including matchups against the San Francisco Giants on May 10 at Oracle Park, the Toronto Blue Jays on May 22 at the Rogers Centre, the Colorado Rockies on June 19 at Coors Field, the Washington Nationals on April 16 at PNC Park, and the St.
Louis Cardinals on Sept. 24 at PNC Park. In each of those games, he entered in the eighth inning.
“Yeah, I think that’s pretty cool, being available,” Reynolds said on nearing 162. “I haven’t started every game but getting into every game, I’ve wanted to do that in my career. I’ve had some hiccups the last few years, but hopefully this will be the year.”
Pirates manager Don Kelly sees the value in that kind of reliability. Reynolds has given Pittsburgh a veteran presence and a steadying force, and Kelly pointed to that consistency as part of the team avoiding a losing season for the first time since 2018.
“Byran, he’s stability and consistency, and just the way that he goes about it every single day. You talk about a fierce competitor; he certainly is, and I mean, 162 is hard to do. When you’re talking every single game and really, how he plays the game leads on the field and how we want Pittsburgh Pirates and the identity of this team and going forward how we want to play.”
Kelly said there have already been conversations and a plan in place to help Reynolds reach 162 while keeping him healthy through 2026.
“We talked," Kelly said. "We want Bryan to get 162, and he’s this close, and just having a plan in place, even before we get into the game, talking to him, communicating, trying to figure out what’s best, and yes, he’s played in every single game, started so many in a row there too. I can’t remember the last one he didn’t start, but it means so much to us, and he has been so consistent and has had such a great year.”
In Other News...
Bryan Reynolds Just Gave The Pirates A Bigger 2027 Decision
Bryan Reynolds 2026 season gave the Pirates a useful reminder of what he still brings to the middle of the lineup, even if the year never quite settled into superstar territory. He led the majors with 40 doubles, becoming the first Pirates player since 2008 to reach that mark and only the second switch-hitter in franchise history to do it, joining Bobby Bonilla. Paired with a .261/.365/.422 line, 17 home runs and a 117 wRC+, it was a strong season that still left a little room for more.
Reynolds also spent much of the year bouncing between hot stretches and quieter periods, which is why his role in 2027 suddenly feels more complicated than it did a few months ago. The Pirates have reason to wonder whether a little more rest and some designated hitter time could keep his bat closer to its best for longer, turning an already productive hitter into something more dependable over the full season. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Final Series Puts Two Young Arms Under A Real Spotlight
The Pirates head into their final three games of the 2026 season with a pair of young starters set for the spotlight, as Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones are lined up to bookend the series against the Tigers. It has been a season defined in part by attrition on the pitching staff, with injuries forcing Pittsburgh to lean more heavily on its bullpen and a short list of healthy arms, which has only raised the importance of every turn in the rotation down the stretch.
Chandlers year has had its rough patches, but he has settled in better in the second half and now gets one more chance to show how far he has come. Jones, meanwhile, has been one of the brighter stories on the staff since returning from surgery, turning in a strong September and giving the Pirates a late reminder of what he can look like when he is right. With the season ending and the workload still tight, this series offers a clear look at two pitchers the club will be watching closely into the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Yates Just Raised An Interesting Question About His Pirates Future
Kirby Yates arrived in Pittsburgh after a trade from the Los Angeles Angels and gave the Pirates exactly the kind of late-season stability a contending bullpen can use. Over 14 outings, the right-hander posted a 2.03 ERA, and he made it clear he valued the opportunity to join a club he sees as having real talent and room to do more next season.
Now the bigger question is what comes next for Yates himself. He is out of contract at the end of the season and is weighing whether to keep pitching or step away, which leaves the Pirates with an experienced arm to think about as they shape their bullpen plans. For a team he praised as strong and promising, his decision could matter well beyond this years final stretch. [Read more 🡒]