Jack Suwinski homers, Henry Davis doubles in 1st game with Pirates following promotions

Roughly two weeks removed from being demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis because of major offensive struggles, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski got the call back to the big leagues Tuesday.

While, to Suwinski’s credit, he had looked better with the Indians (slashing .250/.276/.429 at Triple-A compared to .177/.269/.319 through 50 games with the Pirates), necessity was the primary component of his recall.

The Pirates suddenly were shorthanded in center field with Ji Hwan Bae placed on the 10-day injured list and Michael A. Taylor heading to the paternity list.

The unavailability of Bae and Taylor led to Suwinski getting promoted ahead of a three-game series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. The promotion came a bit faster than anticipated, said manager Derek Shelton.

Suwinski still has work to do with refining his offensive approach, but Shelton remains confident that he can make those tweaks in Pittsburgh as opposed to Indianapolis.

“Jack still has things to work on, and we will continue to still work on those things,” Shelton said. “It’s important that we have someone to play center field.

“Jack has performed at the major-league level. Is it quicker than we thought? Yeah. Sometimes circumstances happen, but I think there’s also confidence in the ability that he’s had success at the major-league level and we can continue to work on those things.”

The struggles of catcher Henry Davis, who was sent to Triple-A on May 3 after batting just .162 with the Pirates to start the year, closely mirrored those of Suwinski.

Davis boosted his average to .296 with the Indians, hitting seven homers with 17 RBIs, 10 walks and 25 strikeouts in 23 games.

Davis and Suwinski weren’t together with the Indians for very long, but they looked at being teammates again as an opportunity to be a resource to one another.

“It was just a week we crossed in Indy, but some of the things we talked about together, less about swing or the things that can be kind of more glaring but just about approach and trusting it,” Davis said. “That’s something we can help each other with, so doing that tonight and doing that in Indy helped. I think that’s something we’ll go to moving forward.”

Tuesday against the Dodgers, both produced at the plate.

Suwinski didn’t take long to showcase his readiness for the opportunity. In his first at-bat post-recall, facing Dodgers starter and former Pirate Tyler Glasnow, he lifted a 97 mph fastball over the Clemente Wall for his fifth homer of the year.

The pitch came on a 3-2 count.

Jack Suwinski homers in his first game back! pic.twitter.com/ynwspHC4cD

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 4, 2024

“It was just a pretty good heater,” Suwinski said. “Just tried to back the ball up a little bit because he throws a lot of off-speed with two strikes. Just looking for something up.”

Suwinski had less luck at the plate for the remainder of the evening, as he struck out on three pitches the next time he faced Glasnow, followed by another strikeout in the seventh inning vs. Los Angeles reliever Alex Vesia.

The 25-year-old Suwinski is still hitting a paltry .177, but going deep in his first big-league at-bat in nearly two weeks was a good step in the right direction.

“You come back in a situation where he’d been struggling before and that first at-bat I believe alleviates a little bit of pressure,” Shelton said.

Suwinski’s homer proved to be the only offense of the day for both clubs, with the Pirates defeating the Dodgers at PNC Park, 1-0.

Jared Jones tossed six scoreless innings, with Colin Holderman, Aroldis Chapman and David Bednar preserving the lead in the seventh, eighth and ninth.

“Felt good, glad we got that win,” Suwinski said postgame. “Just happy I could come and help us get a win today.”

Aside from Suwinski’s homer, the Pirates had one other extra-base hit, which came off the bat of Davis.

Davis roped a double down the third-base line in the seventh inning, but he ended up being stranded on base.

Henry Davis with a double straight at @PGHPirateQueen pic.twitter.com/i4rEQ5PjKC

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) June 5, 2024

In his other two at-bats Tuesday, he popped out and struck out.

The biggest adjustment he made with Indianapolis and is looking to translate to this stint with the Pirates: think less.

“What I did poorly my first stint in the big leagues was try and be perfect every day,” Davis said. “Trying to have the perfect swing or the perfect preparation or this, that or the other thing. I’m getting back to (where) I’m looking for a pitch over the heart of the plate, and I want to be on time.

“That’s what I thought about my whole life. Obviously, I take pride in preparation, and I want to be as prepared as I can be in the box but at the same time, just trusting in my ability, trusting in what I do before the game and just let it happen.”