Pirates Make Roster Moves Before Saturday Doubleheader

What Happened?

Before Saturday’s doubleheader (that means two baseball games played in one day) against the Cleveland Guardians, the Pittsburgh Pirates made a few team changes. Think of a "roster move" as deciding who is on the team to play that day and who is not.

Here are the big moves:

• Right-handed pitcher Khristian Curtis got his contract selected from Triple-A Indianapolis (a smaller league team the Pirates use to train players). This means he is now officially on the big Pirates team.
• Outfielder Oneil Cruz was moved to the 60-day injured list (a list of players too hurt to play for at least 60 days).
• Right-handed pitcher Wilber Dotel finished his rehab assignment (practice games to get healthy) with the Altoona Curve, was taken off the 15-day injured list, and was named the Pirates’ “27th man” just for the doubleheader (teams get one extra player on doubleheader days).

Meet Khristian Curtis

Curtis is a young pitcher the Pirates think highly of. He is ranked No. 21 on the team’s list of best young future players by MLB Pipeline (a group that tracks baseball prospects).

He might play in his very first MLB game (the top baseball league) soon!

Some simple stats about him this year:

• He was picked by the Pirates in the 12th round (347th overall) in 2023 from Arizona State school.
• Overall this season, he is 2 wins and 8 losses with a 4.96 ERA (ERA means earned run average; lower is better, and it shows how many runs he lets in per game).
• He played for both Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis.
• At Triple-A, he played 6 times (4 as a starter), with 2 wins, 1 loss, a 5.57 ERA, 30 strikeouts (when he gets the batter out by pitching), and 15 walks (when he accidentally lets the batter go to base).
• In total, he played 74 and 1/3 innings and has a WHIP of 1.39 (WHIP shows how many players he lets on base per inning; lower is better).

Important Point: Curtis could make his MLB debut (first big-league game) because his contract was selected from Triple-A.

About Oneil Cruz’s Injury

Cruz got hurt and was first put on the 10-day injured list on June 10 (counting back to June 8) because he had small cracks (non-displaced fractures) in the fourth and fifth bones of his left hand.

Before the injury:

• His last game was June 7.
• In 64 games, he was hitting .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs (RBIs are runs batted in, meaning he helped teammates score).

Important Point: The earliest Cruz can come back is August 8, since he is on the 60-day injured list now.

Wilber Dotel Returns

Dotel is the Pirates’ No. 12 young prospect. He had a right lat muscle strain (a pulled muscle in his side) since mid-June.

During his 2 rehab games with Altoona:

• He played 3 innings, gave up 0 runs, walked 1, and struck out 5.

He already played in the MLB once this year, debuting April 19. In 9 big-league games from the bullpen (relief pitcher who plays later in games), he was 1-2 with a 5.89 ERA.

As the “27th man,” he is extra help for the doubleheader only.

Doubleheader Details

Saturday’s two games are make-up games. Game 1 replaces Friday’s game that was canceled because of poor air quality from Canadian wildfires (smoke made the air unsafe).

The schedule:

1. Game 1 starts at 1:10 p.m. — this is the Pirates’ first game back after the All-Star break (a mid-season rest for top players).
2. Game 2 starts at 7:10 p.m.

Summary

Before a Saturday doubleheader vs. the Guardians, the Pirates added Khristian Curtis to the big team from Triple-A, moved Oneil Cruz to the 60-day injured list with a hand injury (out until at least Aug. 8), and brought back Wilber Dotel as the 27th man after his injury rehab. Curtis may debut soon, Cruz is sidelined, and Dotel is healthy again. The doubleheader fixes Friday’s air-quality postponement, with games at 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.

FAQ

What does “contract selected” mean?
It means a player who was in the minor leagues (like Triple-A) is officially moved up to the main MLB team roster so they can play.

Why is there a 27th man?
On doubleheader days, teams are allowed one extra player (the 27th man) because they play two games in one day and need more help.

What is the injured list?
It is a list of players who are hurt and not allowed to play for a set number of days, like 10, 15, or 60 days.

What is a rehab assignment?
It is when a hurt player plays in minor league games to practice and prove they are healthy before returning to the main team.