With injuries to Colin Moran and Erik Gonzalez making depth an issue at first base, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired John Nogowski from the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday for cash considerations.

Nogowski, 28, had been designated for assignment by the Cardinals on June 28. He started the season with the Cardinals, going 1 for 17 as a pinch-hitter and 0 for 1 in three appearances at first base before being sidelined from April 23 until May 18 with a bone bruise in his left hand.

“I know he’s a guy we liked previously — even earlier in the year coming in to the season, a right-handed hitting first baseman,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Nogowski. “With our first basemen being down, once we get him in, get him through protocols, he’s going to get an opportunity to give us some at-bats at first.”

Shelton said he was hoping that Nogowski could clear covid-19 protocols “within the next 48 hours.”

In 36 games with Triple-A Memphis this season, Nogowski batted .197 (25 for 128) with four doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs. In 2019, he slashed .295/.413/.476 with 22 doubles, 15 homers and 75 RBIs in 117 games at Memphis.

The Pirates also placed outfielder Ka’ai Tom on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain and recalled right-handed reliever Kyle Keller from Triple-A Indianapolis. Keller allowed three runs in three innings in May for the Pirates. He was 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA, 31 strikeouts and three walks for Indianapolis this season.

“It’s something that he’s been battling, even previous to that day,” Shelton said of Tom. “Kind of grinding through it. It just got to the point where he didn’t feel like he could move the way we needed him to.”

To make room for Keller, the Pirates designated right-hander Geoff Hartlieb for assignment. Hartlieb (0-0, 7.71) pitched 4⅔ innings in relief for the Pirates this season.

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