The Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting outfielder Travis Swaggerty in time for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team source confirmed.
Swaggerty, 24, signed for a $4.4 million after being drafted with the No. 10 overall selection in 2018 out of South Alabama, where he was regarded as one of the best hitters in college baseball and an excellent defender with an above-average arm.
His progress with the Pirates has been slow, as he spent the covid-shortened 2020 season at the alternate training site in Altoona and played only 12 games at Triple-A Indianapolis last year before dislocating his non-throwing (right) shoulder.
Swaggerty was sidelined this spring with soreness in his left shoulder that slowed his throwing progression and was optioned to Indianapolis on March 22. The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder who bats and throws left was slashing .280/.362/.439 with five doubles, two triples, four home runs and 22 RBIs in 35 games at Indianapolis before being scratched from the lineup before Saturday’s game.
Swaggerty is set to become the seventh rookie to make his MLB debut this season, joining pitchers Cam Alldred, Yerry De Los Santos and Beau Sulser, infielder Diego Castillo and outfielders Cal Mitchell and Jack Suwinski.
Swaggerty was added to the Pirates’ 40-man roster last fall, but the Pirates will have to make a corresponding move to add him to the 26-man active roster.
