The Pittsburgh Pirates had to make another lineup change on July 22, scratching center fielder Jake Mangum before the second game of their doubleheader and the series finale against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium because of left foot discomfort.
Mangum had already been in the middle of a productive day. He started in center field in the first game, collected two hits and drove in a run with a 10th-inning RBI single in Pittsburgh’s 5-3 extra-inning win.
The Pirates said their medical staff is evaluating Mangum and that an update will come once they have one.
With Mangum out, Billy Cook moved into center field and was set to bat ninth for Pittsburgh.
Mangum has been one of the steadier pieces in the Pirates’ lineup this season, hitting .303/.353/.375 with a .728 OPS in 81 games. He has 76 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, two home runs, 21 RBI and 19 stolen bases.
His role grew even bigger after Oneil Cruz fractured his hand. Mangum stepped in as the starting center fielder and has made his share of standout plays while building an outfield partnership with Bryan Reynolds in left and rookie Esmerlyn Valdez.
Before the doubleheader, Mangum was hitting .308/.352/.398 with a .751 OPS in 35 games since taking over as Pittsburgh’s starting center fielder. In that stretch, he had 41 hits, seven doubles, a triple, a home run, 11 RBI and eight stolen bases.
The Pirates acquired Mangum, Brandon Lowe and Mason Montgomery in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, and all three have played significant roles for Pittsburgh in 2026.
When Cruz was healthy, Mangum also filled the fourth-outfielder role, making 15 starts in left field and eight in right field.
This is the second injury Mangum has dealt with this season. He previously went on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain and missed time from May 8 to May 17.
Cook is expected to see more time in center field, particularly against left-handed pitching like Yankees starter Max Fried in this game.
Pittsburgh has other options, though most of them are corner-outfield types, including Tyler Callihan, Jared Triolo and Ryan O’Hearn.
The Pirates could also turn to Jhostynxon Garcia, who has been playing center field for Triple-A Indianapolis and is a natural there. Garcia brings a promising right-handed bat, and Pittsburgh may decide to call him up until Cruz returns in early August or Mangum is back sooner.
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For Pittsburgh, the concern is not just that Fried is back, but that the Yankees can now pair him with Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler in a group that looks deeper than it did a week ago. Fried made one rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before rejoining the staff, and the only real question left is how much the Pirates will have to deal with in his first outing off the injured list. [Read more 🡒]