Josh Harrison Finishes a Triple Short of Cycle

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison played a huge role in his team's doubleheader sweep on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a double and a home run in the nightcap. His homer was the shortest recorded in all of baseball through the season's first weekend at 342 feet, but it counted all the same. That being... Read More

Chad Kuhl Notches First Win of Season

Hard-throwing right-hander Chad Kuhl wasn't spectacular on Sunday, allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings, but he did enough to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a sweep over the Detroit Tigers. Kuhl allowed eight hits on the day, though he limited the damage by issuing no walks and punching out four. The 25-year-old has produced... Read More

Trevor Williams Throws Six No-Hit Innings

Although he walked five batters and struck out just one, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Trevor Williams tossed six innings of no-hit baseball against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday en route to his win of the season. Williams was pulled from the game after 85 pitches, and Michael Feliz coughed up the no-hitter with one out in... Read More

Starling Marte Notches First Homer of 2018

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte went 2-for-7 with his first home run and stolen base of the season in a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Power has been largely absent from Marte's game the last two years after a career-best 19 home runs in 2015, so Sunday was hopefully a sign of things... Read More

Felipe Rivero Rebounds, Picks Up Two Saves in Doubleheader

Felipe Rivero bounced back from a horrendous Opening Day to pick up two saves in the Pittsburgh Pirates' doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. He struck out the side in the first game and notched two punchouts in the second. He allowed only one hit between the outings and, most importantly, did not issue... Read More

Joe Musgrove to Make Pirates Debut Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Joe Musgrove (shoulder) will make his first start of the season on Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds. Musgrove pitched in a minor league game on Saturday, so this will keep him on regular rest. He dominated out of the bullpen for the Houston Astros last year, and Pittsburgh is hoping he can translate... Read More

Joe Musgrove Targeting Six Innings in Minor League Tuneup

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (shoulder) broke camp as the team's fifth starter and will pitch in a minor league tuneup game on Saturday before making his first start next weekend against the Cincinnati Reds. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Liz Bloom, Musgrove will pitch either six innings or until he hits 100 pitches. The... Read More

Felipe Rivero Has Nightmare Outing on Friday

Control was an issue for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Rivero throughout spring training, and the problem reared its ugly head again on Opening Day. Even with a comfortable 10-6 lead in a non-save situation, the left-hander couldn't get out of the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers on Friday, allowing four runs on one hit... Read More

Josh Bell Racks Up Three Opening Day Hits

Expectations are high for Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell after finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting last year, and his first game of 2018 didn't disappoint. The switch-hitting slugger went 3-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored in his team's extra-inning win on Friday. He looked locked in after... Read More

Gregory Polanco Hits Go-Ahead HR in Pirates Win

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco wasted no time in putting his injury-filled 2017 in the rearview mirror. The 26-year-old smacked a go-ahead, three-run home run on Friday, giving his team a 13-10 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day. He filled up the stat sheet as well, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, a double,... Read More

Ivan Nova Dances Around Trouble, Turns In Solid Start

Although he dealt with command issues early on, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova steadied himself and had a respectable outing against the Detroit Tigers on Friday. In his first Opening Day start, Nova lasted five innings and allowed two runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out four. It looked like his day... Read More

Colin Moran Batting Eighth on Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Colin Moran is slotted to bat eighth on Opening Day versus the Detroit Tigers. The 25-year-old was acquired from the Houston Astros in January as a part of the Gerrit Cole trade and immediately supplanted David Freese as the starter at the hot corner. Moran unlocked some power in Triple-A last... Read More

Felipe Rivero Finishes Shaky Spring on High Note

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Felipe Rivero had a breakout 2017 and emerged as the team's closer, but his momentum didn't carry over into spring training. The left-hander allowed a 5.14 ERA (plus seven unearned runs) and struggled primarily with his command, walking five and allowing two home runs in only seven innings. Fortunately, Grapefruit League play... Read More

Francisco Cervelli Could Re-Emerge on Fantasy Rader After Hot Spring

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli had arguably the best spring training of any hitter on his club, slashing .405/.488/.838 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 15 games. The 32-year-old appears to be healthy for the first time in two years, and that could again make him an option for fantasy owners. Cervelli had... Read More

Gregory Polanco Batting Third in Pirates Opener

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco will bat third on Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers. Whether he sticks in that spot moving forward is unknown, as Starling Marte doesn't figure to hit sixth all season and some shuffling will occur once the team gets out of interleague play after this weekend. Regardless, Polanco should... Read More

Post-Hype Middle Infielders Set to Break Out in 2018

Scouting prospects who will be future big-league stars is an inexact science. Middle infielders can be hard to project because defense often outweighs offense at those positions. For every player who went on to become a superstar right away like Corey Seager or Francisco Lindor, there’s another one who never panned out like Dustin Ackley... Read More

Corey Dickerson Batting In Heart Of Pirates Lineup On Opening Day

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson will bat fifth for the Pirates on Opening Day against starter Jordan Zimmermann and the Detroit Tigers. He's also expected to bat leadoff at times this year, though his power and low walk rate leave him better suited for the middle of the order. Dickerson was the team's biggest acquisition... Read More

Josh Bell To Bat Cleanup On Opening Day

After finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell will bat fourth for the team on Opening Day. The 25-year-old batted .255/.334/.466 with 26 home runs and 90 RBI in his first full season and .294/.351/.608 with four homers and 12 RBI this spring. He's... Read More

Jameson Taillon Finishes Strong Spring On High Note

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon appears ready for the regular season after another strong outing on Tuesday in the team's final spring training game. The right-hander tossed three innings of shutout baseball, allowing only two hits and striking out four. He ends the spring with a 2.13 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 12 1/3... Read More

Pirates Option Jose Osuna to Triple-A

The Pittsburgh Pirates are officially going with an eight-man bullpen, as first baseman Jose Osuna was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. Osuna led the team with five home runs and 16 RBI during spring training and was competing for the final bench spot. The club decided to go with a four-man bench consisting of... Read More

Pirates Eight-Man Bullpen Appears Set

After a few days of speculation, the Pittsburgh Pirates all but made their eight-man bullpen official on Monday. In addition to sending first baseman Jose Osuna to Triple-A, the team also optioned reliever Kyle Crick and reassigned reliever Kevin Siegrist to minor league camp. Pittsburgh also placed Rule 5 pick Jordan Milbrath and Jack Leathersich... Read More

Joe Musgrove To Throw Minor-League Game Before Joining Pirates Rotation

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove got off to a late start in spring training due to shoulder discomfort, but he is expected to join the Pittsburgh Pirates' rotation in their third series of the season against the Cincinnati Reds. To keep him fresh, he will pitch in a minor-league game on March 31 before rejoining... Read More

Pirates May Be Leaning Toward Eight-Man Bullpen

After a flurry of moves on Saturday, the 25th spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates' roster will come down to first baseman Jose Osuna or an eighth reliever. MLB.com's Adam Berry believes the team is leaning toward another bullpen arm, but nothing is set in stone yet. Osuna has been one of Pittsburgh's best hitters this... Read More

Bryce Brentz Waived By Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryce Brentz was placed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, according to Liz Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The former first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox hit .250/.362/.350 with one home run in 47 spring plate appearances. He has 127 career minor-league home runs, including 31 last year, but... Read More

Pirates Cut Jordan Luplow, 3 Others From Spring Roster

Outfielder Jordan Luplow was among the cuts for the Pittsburgh Pirates today, along with catcher Jacob Stallings and pitchers Tyler Jones and Richard Rodriguez. Luplow, a top-25 prospect in the organization, was trying to make the team as a fourth outfielder. Although he hit four home runs in spring action, he batted only .235/.225/.579 overall.... Read More

Josh Harrison, Adam Frazier To Share Leadoff Duties

Josh Harrison and Adam Frazier will both see time at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup this season, The Athletic's Rob Biertempfel reports. Frazier batted leadoff more than any other Pirates hitter last season, but he is a utility man heading into 2018. Harrison, who is locked in as the starting second baseman, may... Read More

Tyler Glasnow, Steven Brault To Open Season In Bullpen

The Pittsburgh Pirates' starting rotation is seemingly settled now, as The Athletic's Rob Biertempfel reports that Tyler Glasnow and Steven Brault will start the year in the bullpen. That appears to pave the way for Joe Musgrove to be the team's fifth starter behind Ivan Nova, Trevor Williams, Chad Kuhl, and Jamison Taillon. Musgrove has... Read More

Pirates Rotation Order Appears Set

Aside from officially announcing their fifth starter, the Pittsburgh Pirates seem to have their starting rotation lined up for Opening Day. It was previously announced that Ivan Nova will pitch the first game of the season on March 29 and Jameson Taillon will get the nod in the team's home opener on April 2. With... Read More

Pirates to Release Daniel Nava

The Pittsburgh Pirates released outfielder Daniel Nava on Tuesday. The 35-year-old was signed to a minor league deal in January and was expected to compete for the team's left field job. However, the Pirates traded for Corey Dickerson and Nava suffered a back injury in spring training that ultimately required surgery on Feb. 27. With... Read More

Tyler Glasnow Returns to Action With Solid Start on Sunday

After being scratched from his start on Monday due to the flu, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow returned to the mound on Sunday. Vying for the fifth spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation, the right-hander rebounded nicely from his worst start of the spring on March 7, allowing one run in 4 2/3... Read More