The Pirates’ injury shuffle is back in motion, and this time it hits an outfield bat that had started to matter fast.
Before Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh put rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain and brought up Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis. Valdez left Friday’s 12-2 loss after limping off on a fifth-inning groundout, and the initial diagnosis was left hamstring discomfort.
That’s a real blow for a club that had come to count on Valdez’s production even while living with the usual rookie bumps. The 22-year-old forced his way into the lineup after a quick rise through the organization, and his numbers showed why: a .232/.345/.510 line, an .855 OPS, 17 home runs and 47 RBI.
The swing-and-miss was part of the package - his 37.6% strikeout rate was still a problem - and his output tailed off over his final 30 games. But the power and a 14.6% walk rate gave Pittsburgh something it badly needed.
With Valdez out, the Pirates are again leaning on Jake Mangum, one of the players who has quietly kept the season from unraveling. Manager Don Kelly said Mangum is expected to get most of the extra outfield work, while Ryan O’Hearn should mainly cover first base and designated hitter.
Mangum has been in this spot before. Earlier in the season, when Oneil Cruz missed a significant stretch with a left hand injury, Mangum became Pittsburgh’s main stopgap in center field. He was asked to fill in for one of the roster’s most physically gifted players at a premium defensive position and help keep the lineup from falling apart.
This season has kept handing those jobs to the same group. The Pirates have already lost Cruz, Griffin, O’Hearn, Spencer Horwitz, Endy Rodriguez and others for stretches, and players like Mangum, Valdez and Jared Triolo have been the ones asked to absorb the damage.
That’s why Mangum is more than just the next name on the depth chart after Valdez’s injury. He’s become the Pirates’ built-in fallback.
Valdez brought a level of offensive upside Mangum can’t simply replace, and the power loss will be felt. But Mangum’s value has been in the way he can move around the outfield, put the ball in play and slide into everyday work without forcing Pittsburgh to redraw everything around him. That kind of steadiness has been one of the quiet reasons the Pirates have been able to keep going through all the injuries.
In Other News...
Pirates Lose A Productive Young Bat At The Worst Time
Esmerlyn Valdez had been one of the more productive young bats in the Pirates system, so his move to the 10-day injured list lands at an awkward time for a club trying to keep options open in the outfield. The Pirates made the roster move after Valdez strained his left hamstring while running to first base, and while the injury sent him to the shelf, there is still no clear sense yet of how long he might be out.
Ronny Simon was summoned from Triple-A Indianapolis to fill the open spot on the active roster, giving Pittsburgh another utility option while it waits for more information on Valdez. For now, the concern is less about the replacement and more about what the Pirates lost, since any extended absence from a young hitter with momentum can change the look of the roster quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Top Prospects Just Moved One Step From A Title
The Pirates High-A affiliate is still playing meaningful baseball, and several of the organizations top prospects have helped keep Greensboro in the hunt. The Grasshoppers advanced to the South Atlantic League Championship Series after taking their Division Series over Frederick, with Edward Florentino, Tony Blanco Jr., Wyatt Sanford, Reinold Navarro and Levi Sterling all contributing during the playoff run.
Greensboro now gets a chance to go one step farther, with Winston-Salem waiting in the Championship Series set to begin Sept. 13. For a Pirates farm system that has been trying to stockpile both talent and winning habits, this is the kind of stage that gives young players a little extra pressure and a little more visibility, especially with so many familiar names still in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan O'Hearn Just Raised The Stakes For Pittsburgh's Fading Playoff Push
Ryan OHearns return gave the Pirates exactly the kind of jolt a fading September push needs. Back in the lineup after a right quad strain, he made his first start since the injury count in a hurry, launching a three-run homer against the Cubs on Sept. 12 and reminding everyone why he has mattered so much to this offense this season. His career-high power has been one of the brighter notes for Pittsburgh, especially in a year when every run seems to carry a little extra weight.
The problem, as the Pirates know too well, is that one swing was not enough to change the shape of the night. Pittsburgh still wound up losing after the Cubs broke through with runs in the eighth inning, leaving OHearns return as both a lift and a missed opportunity. For a club trying to stay relevant in the wild-card race, it was the kind of game that sharpened the stakes without easing them. [Read more 🡒]