Notes: Fish Take 3-of-4; Roster & Moves; Injury Report, Pirates & MLB News

Now they count…

Pirates Stuff: 

• The 2025 Roster: Starters: Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter, Andrew Heaney & Carmen Mlodzinski; Bullpen: David Bednar, Colin Holderman, Dennis Santana, Justin Lawrence, Ryan Borucki, Caleb Ferguson, Tim Mayza & Joey Wentz; Catchers: Joey Bart & Endy Rodriguez; Infielders: Adam Frazier, Nick Gonzales, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Ke’Bryan Hayes & Jared Triolo; Outfielders: Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Jack Suwinski, Ji-Hwan Bae & Tommy Pham. 10 players are repeaters from last year’s Opening Day roster. On the IL: RHPs Jared Jones, Daura Moreta & Johan Oviedo plus1B Spencer Horwitz.
• Moves: RHPs Carson Fulmer, Thomas Harrington, Tanner Rainey & Burch Smith, along with 1B/OF DJ Stewart, were assigned to minor league spring camp. RHP Hunter Stratton was optioned to Indy and RHP Peter Strzelecki was DFA’d. LHP Ryan Borucki was added to the 40-man roster; he was on a minor-league deal coming into camp. 
• Speaking of Jones, his long-awaited diagnosis is that he has a sprain with no torn ligaments and no surgery is needed. However, JJ will be shut down for six weeks and will probably require 4-6 weeks to get back into game shape.

Nick Gonzales – 2024 Topps T206

• 2B Nick Gonzales landed on the 10-day IL with a non-displaced fracture of his left ankle, incurred during a home run trot. No timeline for recovery was offered; he’ll visit a doctor in Pittsburgh on Monday for a CT scan; the injury often requires months, not weeks, to rehab. IF Enmanuel Valdez was called up to replace Gonzales on the roster, rather than the expected replacement, Nick Yorke. Adam Frazier became the day-to-day replacement for Gonzales in the lineup. 
• OF Joshua Palacios and RHP Peter Strzelecki have both cleared waivers and been outrighted to Indy. Josh can refuse the assignment and declare for FA; Peter can’t and will stay with the organization for the time being.
• Kevin Gorman of the Trib notes that a couple of Opening Day streaks remained intact. The Pirates have had a different OD starter in center field for eight consecutive seasons (Cruz, Taylor, Suwinski, Reynolds, Alford, Dyson, Shuck and Marte) and in right for seven straight seasons (Reynolds, Joe, Smith-Njigba, Tucker, Polanco, Heredia and Cabrera). 
• Shelty told the media that RHP Carmen Mlodzinski would take Jared Jones’ spot in the rotation. He started four times last year, but all were bullpen games with him working just two innings per outing. Mlodzinski was a minor league starter through 2022 before being converted to the pen.  Carmen, Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney will fill the Pirates’ rotation. 
• Indy started play right after the big team, on Friday. The Indian schedule Oh, thx for asking – they were steamrolled, 11-0. by St. Paul.

Game Stuff:

• Harrington worked the spring finale v the Twins. It was a final look at him before he headed to Indy, but not until he opened some eyes with a strong showing in camp. This wasn’t one of those efforts, though, as he gave up four runs in three innings as the Bucs dropped a 5-1 decision. It was the squads fifth straight loss and sixth consecutive match scoring two or fewer runs. The club finished the Grapefruit League ’25 campaign at 14-15-1.
• Paul Skenes left after 5-1/3 IP with a 4-2 lead in the Opener; Colin Holderman and David Bednar couldn’t hold it. The Prates made a handful of mental/physical gaffes, went 1-for-9 with RISP and collected just four hits (Nick Gonzales hit a two-run homer, hurting his ankle to go on the IL in the process, and Bryan Reynolds added a two-run single) in dropping a 5-4 decision to Florida. Plusses: Skenes whiffed seven, and the Bucs were 6-for-6 in base thievery.

Oneil Cruz – 2024 Topps Heritage

• Behind Mitch Keller, who went six frames and gave up but one run, the Bucs evened their slate with a 4-3 win over the Fish. Oneil Cruz homered for two RBI and the club rinsed off yesterday’s miscues to play a solid game. The only worrisome thing – Bednar gave up a two-run homer in the ninth; the closer role is still very much up in the air. 
• In a repeat of the first game, Pirates mistakes cost them a 5-4, 12-inning decision. A Bucco was thrown out at home in the 12th with no outs, and the Fish were set up for the win when in their half, Oneil Cruz couldn’t haul in a fly. 
• More mental/physical screwups as Pittsburgh was handed a third walk-off defeat by Miami, 3-2, on a ninth-inning error and wild pitch. The Bucs begin a two-gamer at Tampa on Monday.

MLB Stuff:

• DH/1B Rowdy Tellez made Seattle’s big league roster.
• LHP Jalen Beeks, who opted out of his Astro’s minor-league contract, signed a one-year/$1.25M deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
• LHP Jose Quintana, a late signee, agreed to be optioned to AAA by the Brewers to build up his arm strength after his late report date. 
• RHP Jake Woodford, who worked briefly for the Bucs last year (0-4/7.09, five starts), signed a minor league deal with the  NY Yankees.
• OF Ben Gamel has inked a minor-league deal with the Tigers.
• RHP Roansy Contreras is still on the move. Baltimore DFA’ed him after he failed to make the Birds Opening Day roster.