Khristian Curtis’ first taste of the majors lasted only one day on the Pirates’ roster, but the right-hander left a clear mark before being sent back to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday morning.
Curtis, 24, was optioned back after a sharp MLB debut in Saturday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians. Called up ahead of Game 2, he came in during the second inning and carved through five scoreless frames in relief. He gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out four, throwing 42 of his 68 pitches for strikes.
The outing was good enough to put him in line for his first big league win, but Pittsburgh’s bullpen couldn’t hold it together. Brandon Eisert, Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana all struggled late, Cleveland tied the game in the eighth, and Travis Bazzana ended it with a walk-off two-run homer off Santana in the ninth for a 5-3 Guardians win.
Even in a loss, Curtis gave the Pirates something they badly need: a promising look from a young arm while the bullpen continues to search for stability. His five scoreless innings were the longest relief outing by a Pirates pitcher in his MLB debut since Steve Blass did the same on May 10, 1964.
Curtis hasn’t exactly dominated in the minors this season, going 2-8 with a 4.96 ERA overall, including a 5.57 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 15 walks over 21 innings at Triple-A. Still, this brief stint could earn him another shot later this year, or at least put him on the radar for other clubs before the trade deadline.
While Curtis headed back to Indianapolis, the Pirates also locked in a fresh batch of draft talent. The club announced Sunday that it signed six players from the 2026 MLB Draft: left-hander Ryan Marohn, right-handers Tyler Fay, Bryson Moore, Alex Overbay and Michael Gibson, plus third baseman Tre Phelps III. All six have been assigned to the Florida Complex League.
Marohn, Pittsburgh’s fifth-round pick, was ranked the No. 90 prospect in the draft by Baseball America after going 6-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 62 strikeouts in eight starts at NC State this spring. Fay, taken in the sixth round, went 11-5 with a 4.54 ERA and 127 strikeouts over 18 starts while helping Alabama reach the College World Series. Moore, a seventh-rounder, posted a 6-2 record with a 3.86 ERA in 14 starts at Florida State.
The group also includes Overbay, the son of former Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay, who was selected in the eighth round out of Arizona State. Phelps, the club’s ninth-round pick, earned first-team All-SEC honors at Georgia after hitting .348 with 19 home runs and 59 RBIs. Gibson, a two-way player from The Citadel, rounded out the signings after earning All-American honors by batting .408 and collecting 10 saves.
The Pirates added one more familiar name to the organization as well, bringing back outfielder Dominic Fletcher on a minor league deal, according to his MLB.com transactions tracker.
Fletcher had opted out of his previous contract on July 1, and Pittsburgh released him after choosing not to place him on the major league roster. After about two weeks on the open market, the 28-year-old returned and was back in Triple-A Indianapolis’ lineup Friday.
He has been productive there all season, hitting .288/.379/.511 with eight home runs in 42 games. Fletcher has mostly played center field, while also seeing time in both corner spots, and he’s added value with the glove, posting 13 Defensive Runs Saved in 872 2/3 innings in the outfield.
For now, he gives the Pirates a veteran outfield option at Indianapolis while he keeps playing out his season.
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Still, the timing underscored how much the Pirates are juggling on the injury front. Endy Rodrguez and Spencer Horwitz are both moving in the right direction as well, and each could be close to starting rehab work within the next week to 10 days, giving Pittsburgh a chance to inch back toward a healthier lineup just as Cruz nears eligibility again. [Read more 🡒]