The Pirates optioned Valdez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.
Valdez appeared in five games for the Pirates during his first career stint in the majors, going 2-for-16 with a pair of homers, five total RBI and nine strikeouts. Pittsburgh presumably wasn't satisfied with the 22-year-old's poor strikeout rate, so he'll return to Triple-A while the team brings up utility man Tyler Callihan to fill the open spot on the bench.
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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.
