Pittsburgh Review

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

LOS ANGELES – In times of slumps, it is natural to look towards Triple-A for potential reinforcements. The Pirates already made one such move on Friday, selecting the contract of Domingo Germán to bolster their bullpen, but he isn’t going to be the last player who gets the call from Indianapolis this year.

Today, we examine which current Indianapolis players could potentially make an impact before the end of the season.

RHP Jared Jones

It has been over a month since Jones appeared in a Major League game, but the rookie is on a rehab assignment and working his way back. In his first rehab start Thursday, Jones went 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out three and averaging 96.4 mph on his fastball. There is some rust to shake off, but for a 47-pitch outing, it was an encouraging first step.

“I texted him and asked him if he needed to work on PFP because I know he took a chopper off the chest,” Derek Shelton joked. “His velo was good. It’s just nice to get him back on the mound.”

Before the injury, there was considerable focus on Jones’ workload and inning total in his rookie season, but this stint on the injured list should quell those concerns. His health is paramount, but he will not exceed his previous inning totals as initially expected.

So what does that right arm look like down the stretch? Jones at full strength is compelling to watch. If he can turn in a strong final month and a half, it could significantly help this team and be a building block for the 2025 squad.

C Henry Davis

The big question with Davis coming into the year was whether he could be good enough defensively to be a Major League catcher. The answer appears to be yes. He took a significant step forward as a receiver this winter, showing he can build good relationships with his pitchers and call a good game.

Now the question is: Can he hit Major League pitching?

He certainly can hit Minor League arms. Davis is excelling with Indianapolis, hitting .302 with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and a .990 OPS. Normally, that would warrant a promotion, but the Pirates feel confident about their catchers right now. Joey Bart has been solid all season and Yasmani Grandal is respected in the clubhouse and has caught Paul Skenes particularly well. This leaves Davis without a spot; stashing him in right field again isn’t an option either with Bryan De La Cruz now on the team—not that the Pirates would want to undermine all that progress Davis has made as a catcher.

It seems safe to assume we’ll see Davis in the Majors again sometime before season's end, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when that could be.

2B Nick Yorke/3B Billy Cook

The Pirates aimed to deepen their position player pool at the Trade Deadline by acquiring Yorke from the Red Sox and Cook from the Orioles—two players who are defensively versatile with intriguing traits as hitters. They have both performed well with their new clubs; Yorke is batting .364 with a .906 OPS in nine games with Indianapolis while Cook is hitting .450 with a 1.350 OPS in six games featuring five doubles, four stolen bases and four RBIs in Triple-A.

Both players would need to be added to the 40-man roster; considering they’re Rule 5 eligible this winter, they probably need their contracts selected anyway if the Pirates want to keep them. The outfield has been fluid (outside of Bryan Reynolds) all season; thus there appears to be some opportunity if Pittsburgh wants to promote another hitter.