Pirates activate IF/OF Phillip Evans, reinstate RHP Mitch Keller from IL for Dodgers series

The Pittsburgh Pirates have activated infielder/outfielder Phillip Evans to the major league roster and reinstated right-hander Mitch Keller from the injured list, manager Derek Shelton announced Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s nice,” Shelton said. “Anytime you add guys back that are part of your regular group, it’s important.”

To make room on the 26-man roster, the Pirates designated utility infielder Wilmer Difo for assignment and optioned left-handed reliever Austin Davis to Triple-A Indianapolis. Difo batted .244 with three doubles, two triples, a home run and six RBIs while striking out 25 times and drawing five walks in 44 games. His greatest value came as a pinch hitter, where he was 8 for 27 (.296). Davis spent the first two months of the season on the IL with an elbow injury but returned to pitch a scoreless seventh inning in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Miami.

Evans was slashing .216/.326/.351 with three doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs in 32 games before going on the IL on May 13 with a left hamstring strain. He completed a rehabilitation assignment with Indianapolis, where he batted .462 (6 for 13) with two doubles in five games. Evans can play first and third base and either corner spot in the outfield and will return to his super utility role.

“He’ll bounce around,” Shelton said. “He will play multiple positions.”

Keller pitched only two innings against the Marlins on Friday before leaving with “heat illness” and was placed on the covid-IL on Sunday.

“The importance of this was there was no breaking of protocols,” Shelton said. “We tested him again to make sure there was no positive test. It was just probably out of an abundance of caution because of his symptoms and the symptoms continued. We wanted to make sure. That’s why he was put on that list.”

Shelton said Keller (3-6, 6.65 ERA) is expected to start Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.