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Dennis Santana Dennis Santana Collapses in loss, blown save
Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 11:01 PM
Santana (2-2) was charged with the loss and a blown save Monday against the Cardinals, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.
Analysis: Brought on to protect a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning, Santana served up a pair of home runs Monday en route to coughing up a season-high four runs. The right-hander has converted just two of his four save chances so far, but he still has a quality 3.29 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 13.2 innings in spite of Monday's meltdown. That said, the door is open for Gregory Soto to claim more ninth-inning work in Pittsburgh's closer committee. |
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Wilber Dotel Wilber Dotel Impressive in long relief
Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 10:54 PM
Dotel took a no-decision Monday against the Cardinals, throwing four clean innings of relief. He struck out three.
Analysis: The absence of Braxton Garrett (personal) forced the Pirates into a bullpen game Monday, and Dotel filled in admirably as a bulk reliever. The right-hander flooded the zone for 32 strikes among his 44 pitches, picking up his first hold of the year in the process. Through 6.1 frames in 2026, Dotel sports a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 4:3 K:BB. |
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Oneil Cruz Oneil Cruz Scratched due to illness
Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 5:49 PM
Cruz was scratched from the Pirates' starting lineup against the Cardinals on Monday due to an illness.
Analysis: Cruz evidently fell ill prior to Monday's game, which prompted the Pirates to replace him with Jake Mangum in center field and shift Spencer Horwitz to the leadoff spot in the batting order. Cruz will continue to receive treatment in the hopes of being cleared to return for Tuesday's contest against St. Louis. |
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Jake Mangum Jake Mangum Lade addition to Monday's lineup
Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 5:36 PM
Mangum is starting in center field and batting eighth against the Cardinals on Monday.
Analysis: Mangum was initially slated to open Monday's series opener on the bench, but he will get the start in center field instead after the Pirates scratched Oneil Cruz (undisclosed) from the lineup. Mangum is slashing .254/.313/.288 with three steals and two RBI over 65 plate appearances this season. |
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Oneil Cruz Oneil Cruz Scratched from Monday's lineup
Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 5:35 PM
Cruz (undisclosed) has been scratched from Monday's lineup against the Cardinals.
Analysis: It's unclear why Cruz was removed, but he has been replaced by Jake Mangum in center field. The Pirates should have an update on Cruz's status during or shortly after Monday's contest. |
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Nick Yorke Nick Yorke Playing time trending down
Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 2:47 PM
Yorke is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals.
Analysis: On the bench for the fifth time in six games, Yorke appears to have ceded primary duties at third base to Nick Gonzales. Yorke's limited opportunities at the hot corner are likely to dwindle further upon the return of Jared Triolo (knee), who remains on the 10-day injured list but is in the midst of a rehab assignment and could be activated within the next week. |
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Carmen Mlodzinski Carmen Mlodzinski Struggles again in short outing
Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 5:33 PM
Mlodzinski (1-2) took the loss Sunday against the Brewers, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and one walk in 3.2 innings. He struck out four.
Analysis: Following a pair of scoreless outings in his April 10 and April 15 appearances, Mlodzinski has faltered in each of his past two starts. The right-hander has now coughed up at least four runs in back-to-back outings, failing to work at least five frames in both. While Mlodzinski sports a strong 30:11 K:BB through 28.1 frames so far, his 4.13 ERA and 1.45 WHIP make him tough to trust in his next scheduled start versus the division-rival Reds. |
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Wilber Dotel Wilber Dotel Handling bulk role Monday
Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 4:20 PM
Pirates manager Don Kelly said that Dotel will be utilized as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Mason Montgomery in Monday's home game against the Cardinals, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Analysis: Monday had been Braxton Ashcraft's (personal) turn in the rotation, but he won't be eligible to rejoin the Pirates until Tuesday after recently getting placed on the bereavement/medical emergency list. The Pirates will thus turn to Dotel to cover extended innings in Monday's series opener. Dotel has appeared in two contests since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on April 19, giving up one run on two hits and three walks while striking out one batter over 2.2 innings. He had previously gotten stretched out to 5.2 innings over his three starts at Triple-A Indianapolis this season prior to being promoted earlier this month. |
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Mason Montgomery Mason Montgomery Set to open Monday's contest
Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 4:16 PM
Montgomery will operate as the Pirates' opening pitcher in Monday's series opener against the Cardinals, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: Montgomery will serve as Pittsburgh's opener for the second time this season, having tossed a scoreless first inning in the team's 2-0 win over Washington on April 15. The southpaw has recorded seven straight scoreless appearances, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out 11 over 6.2 innings during that stretch. Wilber Dotel is expected to follow Montgomery on the mound, handling the bulk role against St. Louis on Monday. |
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Brandon Lowe Brandon Lowe Not in Sunday's lineup
Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 12:47 PM
Lowe is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers
Analysis: Lowe went 2-for-9 with a double, a run and three strikeouts in the first two games of the series and will hit the bench for the finale. It's likely just a maintenance day for Lowe with a lefty starter (Kyle Harrison) taking the mound for Milwaukee. |
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Oneil Cruz Oneil Cruz Receiving Sunday off
Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 12:43 PM
Cruz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: It's the first day off for Cruz since the second contest of the season, and it comes after he went 0-for-10 with five strikeouts and an RBI across the first two games of the series in Milwaukee. Billy Cook is picking up a start in center field Sunday. |
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Marcell Ozuna Marcell Ozuna Beginning on bench Saturday
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 3:30 PM
Ozuna isn't in the Pirates' starting lineup Saturday versus Milwaukee.
Analysis: Ozuna will take a seat after starting each of Pittsburgh's previous 10 games and batting .262 with two home runs and eight RBI over that span. The veteran slugger may be beginning to perk up, but he still has a poor .487 OPS and 26.1 strikeout rate through 21 games on the campaign. Ryan O'Hearn is getting a day off his feet as the DH in Ozuna's stead Saturday. |
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Cam Sanders Cam Sanders Brought back up to majors
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 3:00 PM
Pittsburgh recalled Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.
Analysis: Sanders had a very brief stint with the big-league club in mid-April, getting into one game and allowing four runs over two-thirds of an inning. His call back to the majors Saturday corresponds to starter Braxton Ashcraft (personal) being placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Sanders could be in for another short stint with the Pirates if Ashcraft isn't out beyond the seven-day maximum. |
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Braxton Ashcraft Braxton Ashcraft Placed on bereavement list
Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 2:50 PM
The Pirates placed Ashcraft (personal) on the bereavement/family medical emergency list Saturday.
Analysis: Ashcraft had been scheduled to make his next start Monday versus St. Louis, but he'll miss that outing since he's required to sit out at least three (and no more than seven) games while on the bereavement list. Pittsburgh called up reliever Cam Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis to temporarily fill Ashcraft's spot on the 26-man roster. It's unclear who will slide into Ashcraft's rotation spot for what will likely be a spot start Monday. |
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Ryan O'Hearn Ryan O'Hearn Scores twice in win
Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 11:27 PM
O'Hearn went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored Friday against the Brewers.
Analysis: O'Hearn tallied hits in the sixth and eighth innings -- the first of which was a double down the right field line -- and he came around to score on each occasion. The effort extended his hitting streak to five games, during which he's gone 7-for-17 with three RBI and four runs scored. O'Hearn has been an excellent contributor overall to begin his first season in Pittsburgh, maintaining a .413 wOBA and .190 ISO across 100 plate appearances. |
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Konnor Griffin Konnor Griffin Clubs first homer on 20th birthday
Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 11:15 PM
Griffin went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional RBI and a steal in Friday's win over Milwaukee.
Analysis: Griffin, who turned 20 years old Friday, bookended the scoring with his first big-league homer during the third inning and a two-run single in the eighth. The long ball ended an 0-for-11 skid, while the three-hit game is also the first of his MLB career. Griffin has yet to find his footing through his first 20 big-league games with a .214/.273/.314 slash line and 28.6 percent strikeout rate, but he's shown flashes of his upside and should continue to get an extended look after inking a nine-year, $140 million extension earlier this month. |
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Paul Skenes Paul Skenes Flirts with perfect game
Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 10:48 PM
Skenes (4-1) earned the win Friday against the Brewers, striking out seven and allowing one hit and no walks over seven scoreless innings.
Analysis: Skenes carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, but Jake Bauers' two-out single ended that bid and prompted manager Don Kelly to go to the bullpen after the completion of the frame. Despite completely shutting down Milwaukee's offense, it still wasn't the right-hander's most dominant performance, as he generated just 10 whiffs on 93 total pitches. After surrendering five runs over two-thirds of an inning Opening Day, Skenes has responded with a 0.95 ERA, 0.53 WHIP and 29:5 K:BB across 28.1 frames in his past five starts. |
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Jared Triolo Jared Triolo Starting rehab assignment
Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 3:16 PM
Triolo (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on Friday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Analysis: Triolo has been sidelined for nearly three weeks with a knee issue, but he's ready to test things out in a game setting. The infielder could be ready to return at some point next week and will be in the mix for starts at third base when he is activated. |
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Henry Davis Henry Davis Resting Thursday
Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 4:58 PM
Davis is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Rangers.
Analysis: Davis went 0-for-5 with a walk across the first two games of the series against the Rangers, but he will get a routine breather for the final game of the series. Joey Bart has the start behind the plate Thursday and is batting ninth. |
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Gregory Soto Gregory Soto Picks up win in relief
Thu, Apr 23, 2026, 9:01 AM
Soto (1-0) earned the win in relief Wednesday against the Rangers despite allowing two runs on three hits over an inning while striking out three.
Analysis: Soto entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when the Pirates had a 4-2 lead, but he surrendered that advantage after allowing a two-RBI single to Jake Burger, scoring Andrew McCutchen and Brandon Nimmo. However, the Pirates responded with four runs in the top of the ninth -- headlined by a three-run homer from Oneil Cruz -- which allowed Soto to walk away with the win. That said, this was far from his finest outing. It also ended a streak of seven scoreless appearances for the veteran, who nonetheless should continue to have an important role in the Pirates' bullpen going forward. |
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