Pittsburgh Pirates / MLB category, Page 47
Healthy Ji Hwan Bae shows signs of getting more comfortable in center field for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Detroit Tigers’ Bligh Madris barreled the ball, Ji Hwan Bae didn’t realize the deep fly would require him to chase it so far into center field that he ended up against the wall. Bae used his elite sprint speed to track and catch it, surprising...
Bailey Falter, Bubba Chandler roughed up as Yankees clobber Pirates
In their 10th game of spring training Monday evening, the Pittsburgh Pirates fell 12-3 to the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. New York’s Max Fried, who signed an eight-year, $218 million deal with the club during the offseason, and Bailey Falter started, with both...
Pirates claim reliever Justin Lawrence off waivers from Rockies, place Johan Oviedo on 60-day IL
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed 30-year-old right-handed pitcher Justin Lawrence off waivers from the Colorado Rockies, the team announced Monday. In order to make room for Lawrence on the 40-man roster, righty Johan Oviedo was placed on the 60-day injured list. Oviedo, 27, is coming off Tommy John surgery performed in...
Termarr Johnson spent busy offseason taking significant steps toward playing for the Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — On the day he was reassigned to minor league camp by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Termarr Johnson spent the morning talking about the offseason steps he took to get closer to the majors. Johnson enjoyed an extended season that started with playing in the Arizona Fall League and...
Topps’ debut patch cards have become a sought-after collectible for some young major leaguers
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Cam Booser’s bumpy road to the major leagues included arm and back injuries, along with a stint as a carpenter in his native Seattle. Such an unlikely big league debut was worth commemorating, and he was determined to track down a specific memento — a one-of-a-kind baseball...
Short start: Jokes aside, Pirates pitcher Jared Jones pleased with performance against Tigers
BRADENTON, Fla. – Jared Jones seemed surprised when Derek Shelton strolled out to the mound with two outs in the third inning, prepared to pull the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander from the game. Jones was pulled not because of his performance but rather for reaching his 45-pitch count. As he handed...
Pirates top pick Konnor Griffin was ‘all smiles’ in celebrating his 1st pro home run off OriolesVideo
SARASOTA, Fla. — When Konnor Griffin connected on Brandon Young’s 1-1 pitch, he knew he barreled the ball and immediately believed it would be an extra-base hit. With the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles tied at 2-2 in the top of the ninth inning, Griffin had only one thing on...
Paul Skenes introduces new pitches in spring debut, as 4 homers lift Pirates past Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. — The first start of spring training came later than Paul Skenes wanted and with more pitches than he preferred but with results that left the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander satisfied. Skenes introduced two new fastballs to his pitch repertoire, using both his cutter and two-seamer a handful of...
Josh Rawitch Q&A: Hall of Fame president discusses Dave Parker’s induction and more
BRADENTON, Fla. — Josh Rawitch watched in amazement how becoming a Hall of Famer touched Jim Leyland, from the tears in his eyes upon arriving and meeting the staff in Cooperstown, N.Y., to getting choked up while delivering his induction speech. As president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft stays in zone, with focus on stuff over results against Rays
BRADENTON, Fla. — Braxton Ashcraft has learned not to dwell on the negative, so the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher was focused on how his pitches felt more so than the results of his first spring training outing. Yet Ashcraft couldn’t hide his displeasure that he allowed two runs on four hits...
Jack Suwinski searches for consistency, finding a new place in Pirates’ lineup after down year
BRADENTON, Fla. — After answering the best season of his career with the worst, Jack Suwinski lost not only his spot in the starting lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates but any guarantees on the major league roster. That was humbling for the 26-year-old outfielder, who led the Pirates with 26...
Top prospect Bubba Chandler shows signs of maturity on mound as Pirates pound Twins
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Bubba Chandler wanted to make quick work of the Minnesota Twins, so the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander wasn’t happy when his called third strike on the inside corner against Willi Castro was overturned by a challenge in spring training’s experimental automated ball-strike system. “I never had a...
Matt Gorski hopes home runs, playing 1st base help to make a lasting impression on Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — All of Matt Gorski’s hits in spring training games had been home runs, so Derek Shelton was surprised when the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder had to settle for a sacrifice fly. When a 400-foot shot fell short of clearing the center-field fence, the Pirates manager made the case...
Breaking news: Pirates lefty Bailey Falter hopes sharpened slider, curveball will set up fastballs
BRADENTON, Fla. — Before the question was even asked, Bailey Falter blurted out the answer: breaking stuff. The Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander has a reputation for taking advantage of his elite extension and throwing hitters a heavy dose of fastballs — a combined 62% between his four-seamer and sinker — so...
Jared Jones unveils ‘something nasty’ with new pitch in spring debut as Pirates fall to Braves
BRADENTON, Fla. — Jared Jones unveiled a new pitch in his first start of spring training, though the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander hesitates to label it. For now, the two-seam fastball is a “sinker or whatever you want to call it.” What does Jones want to call it? “Something nasty.” The...
Air power: Pirates’ Paul Skenes finds flexibility key to developing a pair of new pitch offerings
BRADENTON, Fla. — Paul Skenes never even boarded the bus. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander was warned Monday that there was a good chance his first start of spring training could be rained out, so he threw a 45-pitch live batting practice before it was scheduled to leave. After joking that...
Pirates-Phillies spring training game rained out
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Paul Skenes’ first start of spring training was rained out. Monday’s Pittsburgh Pirates-Philadelphia Phillies game was canceled due to inclement weather, as the Gulf Coast expected rainstorms all afternoon. Skenes, the 2024 NL rookie of the year, was set to start for the Pirates against a Phillies...
‘He’s impressive’: Pirates 1st-round pick Konnor Griffin flashes tools in spring training debut
BRADENTON, Fla. — Konnor Griffin is quick to say how cool it is to be an 18-year-old in big league camp at spring training, especially when reminded that he’s less than a year removed from high school. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2024 first-round pick is even quicker to remind about something...
‘Don’t forget about Mitch’: Pirates count on Keller to rebound from second-half struggles
BRADENTON, Fla. — It never dawned on Mitch Keller that he took the mound for their Grapefruit League home opener a year to the day after he signed a five-year, $77 million contract extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not having it on his mind was liberating. “Now I can just...
Pirates win Grapefruit League opener against Orioles as Carmen Mlodzinski moves into starter’s role
SARASOTA — When Carmen Mlodzinski moved to the bullpen two years ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates told him they weren’t closing the door on his chances of being a starting pitcher in the major leagues. In his exit interview last fall, Mlodzinski made it clear it was an avenue he wanted...
Pressure point: Pirates still betting on Henry Davis, who is learning to cancel out the noise
BRADENTON, Fla. — Searching for solitude and his swing, Henry Davis found a baseball facility that was empty in the morning this offseason. He arrived early and put on headphones while hitting fastballs off a self-feeder. What was on his playlist? “Crowd noise,” Davis said. “I just wanted to replicate...
After signing, LHP Andrew Heaney says he’s ‘got to go out there and perform’ for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Andrew Heaney arrived just as the Pittsburgh Pirates were transitioning from Pirate City to LECOM Park, so his head was still spinning about joining a new team. Where Pirates pitchers were thrilled to add a world champion to their starting rotation, the 33-year-old left-hander is ready and...
‘That’s what we need’: Pirates pitchers have positive reaction to adding LHP Andrew Heaney
BRADENTON, Fla. — Paul Skenes grew up a Los Angeles Angels fans, so he’s watched Andrew Heaney pitch for years. When the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to terms with the veteran left-hander, Skenes saw it as a sign that they are committed to creating a winning culture. Heaney has pitched in...
Pirates add lefty starter Andrew Heaney to rotation
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a World Series champion left-handed pitcher to their starting rotation by signing veteran Andrew Heaney to a one-year contract, pending physical, a source confirmed to TribLive. Heaney, 33, is 51-62 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 185 career starts over 11 seasons. The 6-foot-2,...
‘It’s overwhelming’: Sudden cardiac arrest survivor Ernie Withers visits Pirate City
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ernie Withers found it surreal to be back at Pirate City on Thursday, almost two years to the day after he suffered sudden cardiac arrest while watching a workout in the outfield. This time, Withers was content to stand outside the fences and chat with Dr. Patrick...
