Pirates notebook: Keeping mum on No. 1 pick; Colin Moran leaves game with lower back injury

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft on July 11, but are keeping their choice a secret.

While filling in for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington on his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan on Sunday afternoon, assistant general manager Steve Sanders wouldn’t tip his hand despite repeated attempts by broadcaster Greg Brown to find out who they are targeting.

“We don’t know,” Sanders said, “and even if we did, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you.”

Where Vanderbilt pitchers Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker entered the college season as the co-favorites to go first, baseball analysts now believe the Pirates are leaning toward picking a position player.

Louisville catcher Henry Davis is considered the top college prospect, though four high school shortstops are expected to go in the top 10: Jordan Lawlar of Dallas Jesuit, Marcelo Mayer of Chula Vista (Calif.) Eastlake, Brady House of Winder (Ga.) Winder-Barrow and Kahlil Watson of Wake Forest (N.C.).

In its most recent mock draft, Baseball America projected the Pirates to pick Lawlar, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed hitter. Sanders, however, said the Pirates will continue their evaluations until early July.

“Our approach is going into this draft trying to add the most impactful, talented player that we can,” Sanders said. “And that’s really our goal in all forms of acquisitions but especially this year going into an immensely important draft with the first pick. The draft pool has continued to evolve. We know more about it now than we did at this time last year. We’ll continue to learn over the course of the next month.

“As we evaluate those options, I think we feel really good about a diverse group of both position players and pitchers, high school and college. And we’re going to take our time, right up until the end, working to evaluate all those options and figure out which one if going to be best for the organization.”

Moran leaves game

After missing nearly a month with a left groin strain, Colin Moran returned to the lineup Sunday only to be hit on the right hand by a pitch three days later.

Now, the Pirates first baseman is injured again.

Moran left Sunday’s game with lower back tightness. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Moran had back spasms running from second to third base in the second inning on a Gregory Polanco single. Moran remained in the game and scored on Kevin Newman’s infield single but was replaced in the field by Phillip Evans.

Difo joins Indianapolis

Super utility player Wilmer Difo, who was designated for assignment on Sunday, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. Difo batted .244 with three doubles, two triples, a home run and six RBIs in 44 games for the Pirates.