The Pirates made a roster move Friday that underscores how thin their offense has become down the stretch: Esmerlyn Valdez was placed on the 10-day injured list before the afternoon game against the Cubs, and Ronny Simon was brought up from Triple-A Indianapolis to fill the open spot.
Valdez’s absence comes after he hurt himself while running to first base on Friday. Pittsburgh has called it a left hamstring strain, though manager Don Kelly said the club still does not know how serious it is, per ESPN.
If Valdez’s season is done, he leaves with plenty on the ledger. In 72 games, he has hit 17 home runs, and when his Triple-A numbers are folded in, it becomes a 30-homer season. He has also produced a 130 wRC+ over 287 plate appearances and had taken over as Pittsburgh’s everyday right fielder since the start of July.
The bat has been real, but so has the swing-and-miss. Valdez struck out at a huge 37.6% clip in his first major league run, continuing the contact issues that followed him from the minors.
He has carried a swinging-strike rate close to 15% and a 31.9% called-plus-swinging-strike rate. White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami is the only qualified hitter with a CSW% above 32% this season.
Defense was another rough spot early on. Valdez finished with -5 Defensive Runs Saved over 552 1/3 innings in the corner outfield.
Left field was particularly tough, where he posted -3 DRS in just seven games. The long-term fit may end up being first base or designated hitter duties, with an injury to Ryan O’Hearn having pushed him into the outfield mix.
DH should be open for him next year.
Simon gives Pittsburgh a familiar depth piece. He has played 37 MLB games over the last two seasons with the Marlins and Pirates, including 10 games for Pittsburgh this year, when he hit .281 while moving between the middle infield and corner outfield.
At Triple-A Indianapolis, he has put together another loud season, batting .334/.426/.472 in 2026 after a 129 wRC+ in the Miami and Pittsburgh systems last year. He has also stolen a career-high 35 bases.
In Other News...
Pirates Fans May Be Rethinking That Paul Skenes Yankees Return
The Paul Skenes trade chatter keeps hanging around the Pirates, and the latest version of it has centered on a possible Yankees package built around Spencer Jones. It is the kind of rumor that inevitably grabs attention in Pittsburgh because Skenes is already the face of the pitching staff, but it also lands in a moment when the conversation has gotten more complicated, with Jones starting to look more like a real asset and Skenes coming off a stretch of uneven outings.
For Pirates fans, that is what makes the speculation tricky to sort through. A young pitcher with ace upside is not something a team gives away lightly, yet any return would have to be substantial enough to match the value of a player like Skenes, and the Yankees have at least one intriguing piece in Jones to talk about. For now, though, it remains exactly that: talk, with no confirmed trade and no official decision from either side. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Get A Needed Return As Another Lineup Concern Emerges
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Esmerlyn Valdezs day ended with a different kind of concern, though, after he left the field with left hamstring discomfort while limping to first base. Any lower-body issue at this stage of the season draws immediate attention, and Valdezs status now becomes a storyline to watch as the Pirates assess whether theyll have him available down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Lose Key Rookie Bat As Late Push Gets Tougher
The Pirates late-season push took another hit when they placed right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez on the 10-day injured list after he sustained a left hamstring injury in the Sept. 12 game. Valdez had emerged as a key power bat for Pittsburgh, giving the lineup a needed jolt at a time when every productive at-bat matters, and losing him removes one of the clubs more important sources of pop.
In the corresponding move, Pittsburgh recalled outfielder Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis, and the team is expected to cover right field with Jake Mangum and Simon while Valdez works back. For a club trying to keep its offense moving, the injury leaves even less margin for error, and it puts more attention on how quickly the Pirates can piece together production in a spot that had finally become a real threat. [Read more 🡒]