The Pittsburgh Pirates took another hit to their lineup on Sept. 12, placing right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring injury and recalling outfielder Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Valdez was hurt in the top of the sixth inning of Pittsburgh’s 12-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs in the series opener at Wrigley Field. After hitting a groundball, he started down the line to first base, then pulled up and could not put any weight on his left leg. He needed help from the Pirates’ medical staff and manager Don Kelly.
For a club trying to make a late push toward the postseason, losing Valdez stings. He had become the Pirates’ top rookie and one of their best sources of right-handed power.
That power showed up quickly after Pittsburgh first called him up in May. Valdez hit two home runs in his first stint before being sent back to Triple-A.
When he returned in June, he erupted again, launching four home runs in four games to close the month. The barrage kept rolling into July, when he hit 14 home runs in 37 games.
He also made a little team history along the way. Valdez became the first Pirates player to homer in four straight games since Corey Dickerson in 2018, and he was one of only four players to hit that many home runs to begin a career.
Several of those homers came in big spots for Pittsburgh, including three in the doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 11, just before the All-Star break.
That production helped earn him the starting right field job in early July, with Ryan O’Hearn moving to first base full-time, especially after Spencer Horwitz was injured.
Valdez did hit a rough patch in late July, but he still showed strong plate discipline and found ways to reach base even when the hits weren’t falling.
The Pirates spent the offseason looking for a right-handed power bat, and Valdez ended up being their best option this year. He showed real growth and proved he can produce at the major league level.
Pittsburgh does have ways to cover right field while he’s out. Jake Mangum is expected to handle most of the work there, thanks to his ability to play all three outfield spots. He had been the starting center fielder while Oneil Cruz missed two months with a left hand fracture from June to August.
O’Hearn, who just returned from a right quad injury, has played right field this season, but the Pirates plan to keep him at first base or designated hitter over the final two weeks.
Simon can play right field too, so he should get opportunities there as well.
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
Ryan OHearn is back in the Pirates lineup mix after the club reinstated him from the 10-day injured list, giving Pittsburgh a needed boost following his absence with a left quad strain. His return came at a time when the roster could use some stability, and the Pirates were at least able to welcome back a familiar bat as they try to keep their lineup moving.
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 Suddenly Face A Rotation Problem At The Worst Time
The Pirates were already threading a needle in the rotation, and a 12-2 loss to the Cubs only underscored how thin the margin has become. With Braxton Ashcraft sidelined on the 15-day injured list because of right-side discomfort, Pittsburgh turned to three rookie pitchers just to get through the game, a sign of how much the staff has been stretched while the club tries to stay in the National League Wild Card race.
Mitch Keller being lost for the season with a right arm injury has only added to the pressure on a group that needed steadiness most in the final stretch. With only a few games left, the Pirates are trying to patch together innings and keep themselves in the chase, but the rotation now looks like the clearest problem standing in the way of a push that was already going to be difficult. [Read more 🡒]