Valdez (hand) will be in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Valdez exited Monday's series opener after being struck on the left hand by a pitch, but he won't end up missing a start after he underwent medical testing and was diagnosed with a bruise. The 22-year-old is in a bit of a slump, having gone 3-for-16 with six walks and eight strikeouts over his past six games, but he's been a force at the plate overall in July with a 1.043 OPS through 21 contests.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Avoids fracture
Rotowire
Valdez was diagnosed with a bruised left hand after medical testing Tuesday showed no fractures, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
After being hit by a pitch on the left hand Monday against the Diamondbacks, the 22-year-old underwent a "battery" of tests Tuesday and appears to have avoided a serious injury. Valdez should be considered day-to-day, though it's unclear if he'll be able to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday's contest.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Set for imaging Tuesday
Rotowire
Valdez is expected to undergo additional imaging on his left hand Tuesday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Valdez went 0-for-1 before leaving Monday's 3-2 win over Arizona after being hit by a pitch in the fourth inning, and the Pirates didn't provide many details on the extent of his injury following his departure. He was presumably sent in for X-rays immediately after exiting, though the club evidently wants to send him for additional scans Tuesday. Valdez can be considered day-to-day until more information comes to light.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Exits game after HBP
Rotowire
Valdez was removed during the fourth inning of Monday's game against the Diamondbacks after he was hit by a pitch on his left hand, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Valdez was plunked by a 91 mph fastball from Merrill Kelly in the fourth frame and was in visible pain. Valdez walked off the field with trainers, and the Pirates should have an update on his injury once he undergoes further tests. He was replaced by Jared Triolo, who has taken over at shorstop with Jacob Gonzalez moving to first base and Tyler Callihan shifting to right field.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Pops seventh homer
Rotowire
Valdez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk Thursday against Atlanta.
Valdez took Bryce Elder deep in the third inning for his seventh home run of the season. Though his power production has fallen since he homered in four straight games to end June, he has still looked plenty capable of handling big-league pitching. In Valdez's last nine games, he's gone 11-for-37 with one homer, six RBI and six runs scored. He's also started 10 straight contests.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Stays hot in Friday's loss
Rotowire
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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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Making history
Rotowire
Valdez went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, two walks and two runs Monday against the Phillies.
Valdez took Aaron Nola yard in the fourth inning to record a home run in his fourth straight game. He became the third rookie in Pirates history to homer in four consecutive contests and is the sixth player since 1900 to have a four-game home run streak within his first 16 career big-league games, per Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com. While Valdez was initially stashed on the bench upon his return to the majors in mid-June, it's difficult to envision Pittsburgh taking him out of the lineup consistently at any point in the near future.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Homers in second straight
Rotowire
Valdez went 1-for-1 with a solo home run Saturday against the Reds.
Valdez was out of the lineup after starting Pittsburgh's last two contests, but he still managed to impact the game off the bench. He entered Saturday's contest as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and blasted a go-ahead solo home run, his second straight appearance going yard. Valdez still has a very inconsistent role in the Pittsburgh offense, but his recent performance at the plate could start to earn him playing time over Tyler Callihan.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Back up in majors
Rotowire
The Pirates recalled Valdez from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.
Valdez went 2-for-16 with a pair of home runs during an earlier stint in the big leagues this season. The Pirates could give Valdez regular chances in the outfield while they deal with the fallout of the Oneil Cruz's absence due to a hand injury. Valdez, 22, has slashed .255/.388/.526 with 13 home runs across 237 plate appearances with Indianapolis this season.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Hitting seventh in MLB debut
Rotowire
Valdez will start in right field and bat seventh Friday in Toronto in his major-league debut.
Valdez received his first big-league promotion after slashing .253/.381/.506 with 10 homers in 46 games with Triple-A Indianapolis this season. The 22-year-old is not guaranteed everyday playing time with the Pirates, so it would behoove him to get off to a good start.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Dismissed from big-league camp
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Valdez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.
Valdez was one of eight players dismissed from big-league camp in the Pirates' latest round of roster cuts. The Pirates added the 22-year-old corner outfielder to the 40-man roster over the winter after he slashed .286/.376/.520 with 26 home runs across 528 plate appearances between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona in 2025.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Added to 40-man
Rotowire
The Pirates selected Valdez's contract from Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Valdez split his time between High-A and Double-A ball in 2025, slashing .284/.375/.521 with 27 homers, 87 RBI and 76 runs scored between the two levels. His impressive performance will grant him a place on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster heading into the 2026 campaign, but he's likely to begin the year at Double-A Altoona or Triple-A Indianapolis.
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Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez: Bumped to Double-A
Rotowire
Valdez is batting .182 with zero home runs and an 8:4 K:BB in 10 games since getting promoted from High-A Greensboro to Double-A Altoona on July 1.
A righty-hitting corner bat who won't offer much defensive value, Valdez slashed .303/.385/.592 with 20 home runs, a 9.9 percent walk rate and a 24.5 percent strikeout rate in 72 games at High-A prior to his promotion. His 172 wRC+ ranks second among all qualified High-A hitters, behind Josue Briceno (180 wRC+). As a 21-year-old bat-first player, Valdez will be expected to do plenty of damage at Double-A over the rest of the season.
