The Pirates are trying something new with Nick Gonzales as they open their series against the Dodgers on Aug. 21 at Dodger Stadium.
For the first time in his career, Gonzales will work as the designated hitter, and he’ll do it while batting cleanup. Up to this point, he had only played second base, third base and shortstop, so this is a clear shift in how Pittsburgh wants to use one of its best bats.
The move makes plenty of sense from an offensive standpoint. Gonzales has been one of the Pirates’ most productive hitters this season, slashing .310/.368/.404 with an .772 OPS, along with 140 hits, 22 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 53 RBI. His batting average ranks third in baseball, trailing only Philadelphia Phillies second baseman (.320) and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (.319).
But the defensive side has pushed the Pirates toward this change. Gonzales has spent most of his time at third base, making 91 starts in 98 games, and the numbers there have been rough. His -14 defensive runs saved and -11 outs above average are the worst and second-worst marks, respectively, among MLB third basemen.
That opens the door for Jared Triolo to handle third base instead. Triolo brings a much stronger defensive track record, with +13 DRS and +11 OAA in his career. He used that glove to win a Gold Glove Award in 2024 and finish as a finalist in 2025 as a utility man.
The alignment also fits the matchup on the mound, with right-hander Bubba Chandler starting against a Dodgers lineup that figures to test Pittsburgh defensively. By putting Gonzales at DH, the Pirates get his bat in the lineup without carrying the defensive mistakes that have come with it.
Pittsburgh’s order otherwise looks fairly normal. Spencer Horwitz will lead off at first base, Brandon Lowe is hitting second at second base, Bryan Reynolds is third in left field, Gonzales is fourth as the DH and Oneil Cruz is fifth in center field.
One notable wrinkle comes at catcher, where Rafael Flores Jr. is batting sixth. It’s just the third time he has hit that high in the order this season, but it comes after he launched two home runs off the bench in the Pirates’ 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 19.
Jake Mangum is in right field and batting seventh, giving Esmerlyn Valdez a day off before a nine-game road trip. Jacob Gonzalez stays at shortstop and hits eighth, while Triolo rounds out the lineup in the ninth spot.
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