Kevin Gorman stories, Page 36

CINCINNATI — Rob Zastryzny wanted to absorb the atmosphere of his first Opening Day but was trying to keep his emotions in check after days of uncertainty if he even would make the Pittsburgh Pirates. A non-roster invitee to spring training, the 31-year-old left-hander’s status was the ultimate cliffhanger. Zastryzny...

CINCINNATI — The deadline for a deal passed without the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bryan Reynolds finalizing a contract extension, which the star outfielder wanted to complete by first pitch on Opening Day. MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweeted Thursday afternoon that “while there’s agreement on dollars”...

CINCINNATI — The first Opening Day for Oneil Cruz will go down as one to remember, as the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop started their scoring with a solo home run and ended it by driving in the winning run. The 6-foot-7 shortstop went 1 for 2 with two runs scored and...

CINCINNATI — Ji Hwan Bae was surprised to see his name in the Opening Day lineup at second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Canaan Smith-Njigba wasn’t surprised at all to be starting in right field. Derek Shelton had different reasons for starting a pair of rookies Thursday against the Cincinnati...

CINCINNATI — Ke’Bryan Hayes is hoping for an Opening Day that more closely resembles his first than his last, even though he has 70 million reasons to feel the opposite. If the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman prefers the two-run homer he hit as a rookie in the 2021 opener against...

CINCINNATI — Derek Shelton sat in the visiting dugout at Great American Ball Park on the eve of Opening Day, believing his fourth season managing the Pittsburgh Pirates finally will bring progress. If that’s received with a shrug, it’s because Shelton’s first three seasons have been a bit of a...

Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation appeared set at the start of spring training and his bet to make the Opening Day roster was as a reliever, Johan Oviedo was absolutely positive that he wanted to be a starting pitcher. The 25-year-old right-hander worked in a relief role for the...

Canaan Smith-Njigba earned a spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day roster with a strong spring, then showed why with one swing when he hit a three-run, opposite-field home run for the lead in the sixth inning. The Minnesota Twins rallied late for a 7-5 win Tuesday afternoon in the...

Jason Delay won the three-man battle to be the backup catcher, and a pair of rookies — infielder Ji Hwan Bae and outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba — will join the Pittsburgh Pirates when they travel to Cincinnati for the season opener, a source confirmed Tuesday morning to the Tribune-Review. The Pirates...

Just when the starting rotation appeared to be set for the start of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates were dealt a major blow. Manager Derek Shelton said that right-hander JT Brubaker, who led the team in strikeouts last season, is likely to begin the season on the injured list with...

For all of the talk by the Pittsburgh Pirates about competition in spring training, only one position was truly up for grabs. That was at second base, with a handful of candidates for the starting job. Rodolfo Castro announced from the outset his intention to create separation from Ji Hwan...

The Pittsburgh Pirates cleared room for rookies Ji Hwan Bae and Canaan Smith-Njigba to possibly make the Opening Day roster with moves that should settle their utility positions. The Pirates optioned infielder/outfielder Mark Mathias, acquired from Texas on March 8, to Triple-A Indianapolis, and reassigned infielders Drew Maggi and Chris...

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday that they will wear their City Connect series uniforms for the first time when they play the San Diego Padres on June 27 at PNC Park. The Pirates are one of six major league teams participating in the Nike MLB City Connect program, created to...

The Pittsburgh Pirates made two roster moves Sunday, reassigning outfielder Miguel Andujar and left-handed reliever Angel Perdomo to their minor-league camp. Andujar signed a $1.525 million guaranteed contract last fall but likely will start the season with Triple-A Indianapolis. He was competing with Connor Joe and Canaan Smith-Njigba for the...

Connor Joe looked like a lock to make the Opening Day roster for the Pittsburgh Pirates before being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves. Joe, an outfielder/first baseman acquired last fall from Colorado, started in left field but left the game after...

From the outset of spring training, Mitch Keller made no secret of his goals for this season. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander wanted to be the Opening Day starter and become the anchor for the starting rotation. Keller can check the first item off his bucket list when the Pirates play...

The Pirates got a strong start from right-hander Vince Velasquez, who became their third pitcher to record seven strikeouts this spring, but they didn’t have an answer for Ryan O’Hearn. O’Hearn went 3 for 4, including a solo home run, and scored three runs to lead the Baltimore Orioles to...

Before Ben Cherington could contemplate what type of expectations he has for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, he first recalled what it was like to endure the brutal past three years as general manager. After compiling the worst record in baseball during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Pirates made the...

A pair of players fighting for a roster spot got the Pittsburgh Pirates got off to a good start and one of their competitors provided a strong finish. Where Connor Joe and Mark Mathias spotted the Pirates an early three-run lead, Ji Hwan Bae rallied them by scoring a ninth-inning...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting closer to settling two of their most contested position battles, but that involved cutting one of their standouts of spring training. The Pirates optioned outfielder Travis Swaggerty and infielder Tucupita Marcano to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday to reduce their major-league camp roster to 38 players....

A beaming David Bednar showed off his silver medal from the World Baseball Classic on Thursday and called playing for Team USA an “awesome experience, top to bottom.” The Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star closer, interviewed on AT&T SportsNet during a Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox, said playing in...

Trouble came in twos for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Boston Red Sox, who hit a trio of two-run homers. On the strength of homers by Bobby Dalbec, Ronaldo Hernandez and Jorge Alfaro, the Red Sox beat the Pirates, 7-4, on Thursday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game at LECOM...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are rolling out new enhancements to PNC Park, from a bigger LED scoreboard and better sound system to a speedier fan entry screening, in an effort to improve the fan experience. “Obviously, we start with the ‘Best Ballpark in America’ with PNC Park,” Pirates president Travis Williams...

Forbes placed the team value of the Pittsburgh Pirates at $1.32 billion again in its annual rankings of baseball’s most valuable teams, which ranks 24th out of 30 major league franchises. Despite the Pirates enduring a second consecutive 100-loss season, Forbes estimated they made $51.5 million in operating income in...

Tyler Chatwood was finishing his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery when he threw a bullpen session at Arizona State for the Pittsburgh Pirates, his first audition before a major-league team. It marked the first time in five years that Chatwood, a 33-year-old right-hander, was pitching pain-free. The attention he received from...