Pirates recall 2B Nick Gonzales, option INF Alika Williams to Triple-A Indianapolis
While the attention was on the arrival of 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes, it was another former first-round pick that was added to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ active roster.
The Pirates recalled Nick Gonzales from Triple-A Indianapolis, and manager Derek Shelton said the hot-hitting second baseman would be in the starting lineup Friday night against the Chicago Cubs.
To make room on the 26-man roster, the Pirates optioned utility infielder Alika Williams to Indianapolis. Williams was batting .239/.271/.348 with a double, two triples and two RBIs in 15 games, making nine starts at second base and five at shortstop.
Gonzales, selected seventh overall by the Pirates in 2020, was batting .358/.431/.608 with a team-best 14 doubles and four home runs, as well as 19 RBIs, in 35 games for Indianapolis.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound infielder made his MLB debut last June 23, batting .209 (24 for 115) with eight doubles, a triple, two homers and 13 RBIs but had 36 strikeouts against six walks in 35 games.
The 21-year-old Skenes, a right-hander who is considered baseball’s top pitching prospect, is expected to make the most anticipated major league debut by a starting pitcher since Stephen Strasburg in 2010 when the Pirates play the Chicago Cubs at 4:05 p.m. Saturday at PNC Park. His addition will require moves to the 40-man and active rosters.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Skenes posted a 0.99 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 27 1/3 innings with 45 strikeouts and eight walks over seven starts at Indianapolis. After leading LSU to the College World Series championship, he signed for a draft-record $9.2 million bonus and made 12 starts in the minors, including five across three levels last summer.
Skenes has a five-pitch repertoire that features a four-seam fastball that regularly tops 100 mph, a hard-breaking slider and a splinker – a splitter-sinker hybrid — along with a changeup and curveball. He topped triple digits nine times in his final start at Indianapolis on Sunday, when he also allowed the first home run of his professional career.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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