Pirates place Ben Gamel on 10-day IL, reinstate Colin Moran from rehab assignment

Ben Gamel is out and Colin Moran is back, so John Nogowski might be moving to the outfield.

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a pair of roster moves Friday afternoon, placing left fielder Gamel on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 5) with a right hamstring strain and reinstating first baseman Moran after returning from a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis.

Gamel was scratched from Thursday’s start and replaced in the lineup by Wilmer Difo, with Hoy Park moving from second base to left field. Gamel, who was claimed off waivers from Cleveland in May, is batting .275/.351/.436 with 13 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 18 RBIs in 70 games this season.

Moran has been out since July 1 after being hit by a pitch on his left wrist, causing a fracture of the left pisiform bone. He has slashed .280/.345/.414 with nine doubles, four home runs and 23 RBIS in 49 games but missed five games with lower back tightness and a month with a left groin strain.

Nogowski is scheduled to start at first base and bat in the cleanup spot in Friday’s game at the Cincinnati Reds, but Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that Moran “will move back into a first-base role with the ability to move Nogowski into the outfield.”

“It gives us some flexibility, then just making sure Colin’s able to stay on the field and stay healthy,” Shelton said. “He’s important for us.”

Nogowski has filled in admirably at first base, batting .286/.349/.388 with seven doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs in 25 games since being acquired in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals. Shelton said Nogowski has taken fly balls every day since joining the Pirates, so he believes Nogowski is comfortable playing in the outfield.

“When he was with Memphis this year, he was playing out there a few days a week,” Shelton said. “We knew that when we acquired him that he had the ability to go in the outfield also.”