The Pittsburgh Pirates will look a little different when they open their weekend series against the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park.
Before the three-game set, Pittsburgh placed right-handed reliever Yohan Ramírez on the Major League Paternity List and brought up right-hander Wilber Dotel from Triple-A Indianapolis. The club also recalled outfielder Billy Cook from Indianapolis and sent outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia back to Triple-A.
Ramírez is expected to miss the entire Red Sox series because the paternity list allows a player three days away from the team. He should be back for the next series against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 17.
The Pirates have used the paternity list before with Henry Davis, who went on it June 10 and returned June 13. Bryan Reynolds has also taken advantage of the three-day absence three times in his career.
For Dotel, this is his fourth stint with Pittsburgh this season. He has gone 1-4 in 14 appearances, working to a 5.06 ERA across 26.2 innings. He has struck out 29 and walked 11, while allowing a .262 batting average and posting a 1.43 WHIP.
Cook is back for a fourth run with the Pirates, too. He last appeared for the club on Aug. 1 and has hit .200/.200/.267 with an OPS of .467 in 66 games. His 45 at-bats have produced nine hits, and most of his value has come as a pinch-runner or as a late-game defensive option in center field.
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Ben Gamels return from injury has helped give the group another left-handed option, while Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales have been part of the defensive and offensive reconfiguration the Pirates are trying to use to find a better fit. Rafael Flores Jr. has also been trending up at the plate, and nights like this only raise the question of whether Pittsburgh has finally stumbled into a combination that can provide more than just an occasional burst. [Read more 🡒]