Pirates/MLB category, Page 38
Pirates reliever Peter Strzelecki embraces underdog role, chance to compete in bullpen
Before Peter Strzelecki met his Pittsburgh Pirates teammates, one All-Star closer contacted another on his behalf. Devin Williams put in a good word for the right-handed reliever with David Bednar, helping to ease the transition to another new team. For a pitcher who has bounced from Milwaukee to Arizona to...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Jared Jones could have ripple effect on Pirates’ final roster decisions
Ben Cherington has been resolute in repeatedly saying the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t have a formula to follow to prevent rookie right-handers Jared Jones and Paul Skenes from injury last season, other than to carefully monitor their pitch and innings counts and days of rest. The Pirates general manager drew praise...
Pirates reliever Colin Holderman aims to reclaim role as setup man, as Pirates lose to Rays
Colin Holderman claims he had the best offseason of his baseball career, one where he prioritized his diet and strength training to gain weight back while adding new pitches to his repertoire. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever had no shortage of motivation, given his poor performance at the most critical...
Pirates right-hander Jared Jones experiencing elbow soreness, will miss final start of spring
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced Wednesday morning that right-hander Jared Jones is experiencing right elbow soreness after his most recent bullpen session. “He’s not going to make his next start in spring training, that’s for sure,” Shelton told reporters in Bradenton, Fla. “I think, with that being said, we’re...
Lefty Caleb Ferguson wanted a chance to start for the Pirates but has thrived out of bullpen
Caleb Ferguson signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a promise that he would get a chance to be a starting pitcher but with the understanding that he was willing to perform in any role. Most of the 28-year-old left-hander’s major league experience has come out...
David Bednar’s clean inning a confidence boost for Pirates, who top Phillies on walk-off homer
Thomas Harrington was nervous before his first spring training start, even though the right-hander ranked the Pittsburgh Pirates’ No. 3 prospect was thrilled to still be in big-league camp. David Bednar was more relieved after his performance as the two-time All-Star battling to keep his closer job relied on his...
SportsNet Pittsburgh to broadcast 20 games of Pirates’ Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve announced that SportsNet Pittsburgh, the television and streaming partner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will broadcast 20 home games of the Double-A affiliate this season. The first Curve game to air on SportsNet Pittsburgh will be against the Somerset Patriots, a New York Yankees affiliate, on April 16...
PNC Park unveils new menu items for this baseball season
Aramark, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ food partner for the past 52 years, has several new menu offerings for this year’s baseball season. Additions include the fried almond torte, Polish cannonball and a chipped ham empanada. The torte is funnel cake batter dipped, fried and topped with raspberry sauce, icing and burnt...
After ‘whirlwind’ season ended in World Series, lefty Tim Mayza hopes to help Pirates’ bullpen
As Tim Mayza reflects on last season, he shakes his head in amazement about how he went from the worst season of his major-league career to winding up pitching in the World Series. After being drafted by Toronto and spending seven seasons in the majors with the Blue Jays, the...
Paul Skenes strikes out a spring-best 7 as Pirates combine for 16 Ks in win over Twins
In his first start since being named Opening Day starter, Paul Skenes dabbled in dominance by touching triple digits twice in the first inning and recording seven strikeouts. It was the most strikeouts by a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher this spring, and Skenes’ swing-and-miss action set the tone as Pirates pitchers...
For Pirates prospect Thomas Harrington, fastball command key to making the majors
The Pittsburgh Pirates have reassigned most of their top pitching prospects to minor-league camp, eliminating Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, Hunter Barco and Mike Burrows from the Opening Day roster. That Thomas Harrington not only remains in big-league camp but is scheduled to start a Grapefruit League game Tuesday against the...
Pirates taking chance that sidewinder Justin Lawrence can become a bullpen success story
Justin Lawrence has an unorthodox delivery, unique metrics on his primary pitches and the back of a baseball card that even he admits isn’t pretty. What the right-handed reliever does have is a pair of perfect innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates since they claimed him off waivers from the Colorado...
After battling injuries, Joshua Palacios singles, scores in return as Pirates top Yankees
A season of battling injuries tested the perpetually positive personality of Joshua Palacios, so the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder took it as a lesson that put things into perspective. And caused him to develop an alter ego. After meeting with Pirates mental performance coordinator Andy Bass, Palacios worked with Todd Herman...
Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes returns for 1st game in 10 days, as Pirates pound Orioles
Ke’Bryan Hayes was happy to see his name in the leadoff spot on the lineup card for his first spring training game in 10 days. The Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman knew exactly what to expect after a long layoff. “I always joke that when you lead off, you know you’re...
After historic rookie year, Paul Skenes named Pirates’ Opening Day starter against Marlins
A year after Paul Skenes shined in the Spring Breakout prospect game, the 22-year-old right-handed pitcher who became baseball’s biggest story last season will make his first Opening Day start for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pirates manager Derek Shelton informed Skenes he would be on the mound to start the season...
Pirates tie Detroit, but Andrew Heaney shows improvement in 3rd spring training start
Predicting how players will perform in the regular season based on spring training statistics can be tricky. Jared Triolo, for example, batted .310 last spring but went on to hit only .216 in the regular season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bailey Falter struggled immensely (7.88 ERA) throughout spring training a...
Pirates top prospect Bubba Chandler dazzles with 4 Ks in Spring Breakout loss to Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Bubba Chandler came out throwing heat against the Philadelphia Phillies, firing four-seam fastballs on five straight pitches for the first of four strikeouts in a pair of perfect innings. It was the second consecutive year that a flamethrowing right-hander delivered a dominant start in the Spring...
Happy in Rockies front office, Clint Hurdle would manage again only via ‘act of God’
Clint Hurdle has had two opportunities since leaving Pittsburgh to put on an MLB uniform again, first as hitting coach with the San Diego Padres soon after the Pirates fired him in 2019 and a bench coach with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024. He decided not to take either...
Clint Hurdle’s new book includes hard-learned lesson on humility
In his book, “Hurdle-isms: Wit and Wisdom from a Lifetime in Baseball,” former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle details 25 phrases he has used over the years — in other words, Hurdle-isms. He said people “pause … and chuckle” when they hear No. 11: “There are two kinds of people...
Ex-Pirates manager Clint Hurdle turns 25 ‘Hurdle-isms’ into a book of ‘wit and wisdom’
Just like fathers and sons often form a bond tied together by baseball, Clint Hurdle started loving the game the day his dad, Big Clint, asked him, “Do you want to go outside and play catch?” The former Pittsburgh Pirates manager was 5. A flame was lit. Hurdle, now 67...
‘Here to stay’: Like his signature ‘stache, Nick Gonzales is making plans to stick with Pirates
Nick Gonzales showed up to spring training with a handlebar mustache and an announcement: “It’s here to stay.” There’s a method to his mustache: When Gonzales grew it for “Mustache May,” it coincided with his promotion to Pittsburgh after starting the season at Triple-A Indianapolis. Gonzales stayed with the Pirates...
Jared Jones minimizes damage but Pirates bullpen blows up in loss to Twins
Jared Jones had kept the Minnesota Twins off the scoreboard for four innings, before the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled the right-hander after he allowed back-to-back singles to start the fifth. Then the bullpen blew up. Jack Carey surrendered four runs on five hits and one walk in a five-run fifth. David...
Working with mental strength coach paying off for Pirates middle infielder Alika Williams
After making the Opening Day roster only to endure a season best described as difficult, Alika Williams wanted to address the doubts that drifted through his mind. Williams noted that baseball players are typically active for only about 18 minutes of a three-hour game, and he was drowning in his...
Buried in Baltimore, Billy Cook embracing 1st base in his 1st spring training with Pirates
Billy Cook couldn’t help but smile in recognizing the rarity that he made his major-league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates before attending his first big-league camp at spring training. “It is kind of crazy,” Cook said. “I don’t know how uncommon it is, but I would think more people would...
Pirates make 2nd round of spring training cuts
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their second round of cuts in spring training, reducing their roster at big league camp to 50 players. The Pirates optioned right-handed pitchers Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows and Chase Shugart, middle infielders Liover Peguero and Tsung-Che Cheng and infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Indianapolis. They reassigned...
