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Pirates' Wilber Dotel: Another rehab outing awaits
Rotowire
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Dotel (lat) will make another rehab appearance with a minor-league affiliate Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Dotel tossed a scoreless frame for Double-A Altoona during the first appearance of his rehab assignment June 27, but he hasn't pitched since. The right-hander doesn't appear to have suffered a setback in his recovery from a lat strain, as the Pirates opted to have him throw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Friday, per MLB.com. Dotel will now head back to the minors Tuesday for what could be a final tune-up outing before he returns from the 15-day injured list.
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Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: On track to return by end of July
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Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Horwitz (hamstring) is progressing well and will hopefully return from the 10-day injured list at some point shortly after the All-Star break, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Horwitz landed on the IL on June 25 after suffering a left hamstring strain but already seems to be making positive strides in his recovery process, as he recently reported to the Pirates' facility in Florida to begin his rehab program. Cherington suggested that Horwitz is unlikely to be activated when the Pirates open their second-half schedule July 17 in Cleveland, but the 28-year-old first baseman may be ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment around that time. If that's the case, Horwitz could be on track to return from the IL before the end of July.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Still trending toward July return
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Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Cruz (hand) is progressing well and will hopefully return from the 10-day injured list at some point shortly after the All-Star break, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
After shedding the cast on his fractured left hand, Cruz reported to the Pirates' facility in Florida last week to resume baseball activities. He looks poised to remain in Florida through at least the upcoming week to continue the ramp-up process, and if all goes well, Cruz could be ready for a rehab assignment once minor-league games resume following the All-Star break. The Pirates remain optimistic that Cruz will be ready to come off the IL before the end of July.
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Pirates' Gregory Soto: Picks up fifth win
Rotowire
Soto (5-2) allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out two across 2.0 innings to earn the win Sunday against the Nationals.
Soto entered the game in the seventh inning to face lefties Luis Garcia and CJ Abrams, and he managed to retire both hitters. Soto then returned for the eighth inning and served up a solo home run to Dylan Crews, marking the sixth time in his last 10 outings that he's given up an earned run. Soto has now made three consecutive appearances before the ninth inning and hasn't collected a save since June 16. However, Carmen Mlodzinski is the only Pirates' pitcher to record a save in that span, which came in a non-traditional spot.
Reynolds went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 11-5 win over the Nationals.
Reynolds extended Pittsburgh's lead to 4-0 in the third inning with a 399-foot shot off Cade Cavalli, his 13th homer this season and his seventh in his last 25 games -- he's gone 33-for-101 (.327) in that span. It's been a strong season at the plate overall for Reynolds, who's now slashing .282/.393/.474 with 56 RBI, 62 runs scored and six stolen bases across 397 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Bubba Chandler: Goes four innings vs. Nats
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Chandler did not factor into the decision in an 11-5 win over the Nationals on Sunday, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks without recording a strikeout over four innings.
Chandler needed 86 pitches, just 47 of which were strikes, to get through four innings. The 23-year-old right-hander has now given up nine runs over 10.1 innings in his last two starts after posting a 2.82 ERA across 22.1 frames in his prior four outings. Overall, Chandler is 3-8 with a 4.82 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 79:52 K:BB across 89.2 innings this season. He'll look to get back on track his next time out, currently scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Brewers.
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Pirates' Davis Wendzel: Booted from 40-man roster
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The Pirates designated Wendzel for assignment Sunday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
He'll give up his spot on the 40-man roster to right-hander Noah Murdock, who exercised an upward-mobility clause in his minor-league contract. Wendzel, 29, appeared in two games for the Pirates back in June but has otherwise spent the entire campaign at Triple-A Indianapolis, with whom he's produced a .230/.349/.461 slash line and 10 home runs across 261 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Noah Murdock: Joins 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Pirates selected Murdock's contract and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Murdock will be added to the 40-man roster after he exercised an upward-mobility clause in his minor-league contract that would have allowed him to test free agency had the Pirates not cleared a spot for him. The 27-year-old pitched at Single-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona to begin the season before moving up to Triple-A in early June. Over the past month, Murdock has submitted a 4.26 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB in 12.2 innings out of the Indianapolis bullpen.
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Pirates' Brandon Lowe: Knocks in two
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Lowe went 1-for-5 with two RBI on Saturday against the Nationals.
Lowe made his lone hit of the day count, knocking in two in the second frame with a single. He's hit only .220 while striking out at a 29.0 percent clip over the last month, though he's still managed to record 20 RBI, 15 runs scored and five home runs across 27 games in that span.
Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Swipes home in Saturday's win
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Griffin went 1-for-5 with a run scored and two stolen bases in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Nationals.
The rookie shortstop got the Pirates on the board in the top of the first inning by singling, stealing second, advancing to third on a Bryan Reynolds knock and then scampering home as part of a successful double steal. Griffin's been very busy on the basepaths of late, going 5-for-5 on steal attempts over his last five games. On the season, the 20-year-old phenom sports a .271/.326/.403 slash line with five homers, 19 stolen bases, 23 RBI and 34 runs in his first 58 big-league games.
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Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft: Dominant in ninth win
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Ashcraft (9-3) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks over 5.2 innings in a 7-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out seven.
James Wood led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot on Ashcraft's first pitch, but the right-hander shut the door from there and came one out short of his 11th quality start of the season. It was an impressive bounce-back performance after he'd been tagged for three homers and five runs in his previous outing; but despite that damage to his ratios, Ashcraft has won four straight starts. He'll take a 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 122:25 K:BB through 108.1 innings into his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Brewers.
Stratton was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton has struck out seven over 5.1 scoreless innings at Triple-A since the Pirates acquired him from Atlanta on June 18. Evan Sisk (elbow inflammation) was placed on the injured list in a corresponding move.
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Pirates' Evan Sisk: To IL with elbow issue
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Sisk was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left elbow inflammation, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The 29-year-old southpaw has a 2.23 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 36.1 innings out of the Pirates' bullpen this year. Hunter Stratton was recalled from Triple-A to take Sisk's place in the bullpen.
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Pirates' Endy Rodriguez: Not in Saturday's lineup
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Rodriguez is out of the lineup Saturday against the Nationals.
Rodriguez is hitting .273 with two home runs and a 10:5 K:BB in his last 10 games. Henry Davis will start behind the dish and bat ninth.
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Pirates' Jake Mangum: Swipes two bags in loss
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Mangum went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Nationals.
The 30-year-old continues to produce as the Pirates' regular center fielder while Oneil Cruz (hand) is on the IL. Mangum has delivered multiple hits in three straight games, and over 21 contests since Cruz went down he's slashing .358/.388/.432 with six doubles, five steals, five RBI and 10 runs. Cruz isn't expected back until the latter part of July after the All-Star break, so Mangum has at least another week-plus to play regularly.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Stays hot in Friday's loss
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Valdez went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Nationals.
The rookie outfielder extended his hitting streak to eight games with the performance, a stretch in which Valdez is batting a blistering .552 (16-for-29) with eight extra-base hits (three doubles, a triple and four homers), nine runs and 10 RBI. His current playing time in right field is coming while Oneil Cruz (hand) and Spencer Horwitz (hamstring) are on the shelf, but it's going to be hard for manager Derek Shelton to sit Valdez down if he's still raking when the Pirates' roster gets healthier.
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