The Padres recalled Joe from Triple-A El Paso on Monday.
Joe was unable to crack the Opening Day roster coming out of spring training, but he'll join the Padres less than a month into the season after Brandon Lockridge (hamstring) joined Jackson Merrill (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Monday. Though he's primarily played at first base and in the corner outfield during his professional career, Joe has gotten some exposure to center field at Triple-A this season and could occupy the short side of a platoon at the position with the lefty-hitting Tyler Wade while Merrill and Lockridge are on the shelf.
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Padres' Connor Joe: Optioned to Triple-A
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Joe was optioned to Triple-A El-Paso on Monday.
Joe appeared to be the odd man out after it was announced earlier in the day that both Yuli Gurriel and Brandon Lockridge had made the Opening Day roster, and the team confirmed this by demoting Joe later in the day. He'll begin the 2025 season at Triple-A but could be seen in the big leagues later in the year.
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Padres' Connor Joe: Appears headed for Triple-A
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Joe is not expected to make the Padres' Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Yuli Gurriel and Brandon Lockridge have made the team, squeezing Joe out of a job. Joe has minor-league options remaining, so he will begin the season at Triple-A El Paso.
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Padres' Connor Joe: Hitting well in spring competition
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Joe is slashing .333/.500/.519 with five doubles, no homers, four RBI and a 7:5 K:BB over 36 plate appearances this spring.
Joe has been particularly hot of late, collecting seven hits over his past 16 at-bats. He seems likely to make the Padres' Opening Day roster given his strong spring and ability to play both in the corner outfield and at first base, though it's not yet clear if he'll have an everyday role or be part of a platoon. Lefty outfielder Jason Heyward has gone just 3-for-22 in Cactus League play, but those stats may not be held against him given his veteran status. Meanwhile, Gavin Sheets has forced his way into serious consideration not just for a roster spot but for a significant role by belting six Cactus League home runs, tied for the top mark among all players this spring.
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Padres' Connor Joe: Likely to be part of LF platoon
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Joe and Jason Heyward are expected to platoon in left field for the Padres this season, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
After All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar signed with Atlanta in late January, the Padres signed Joe and Heyward on the same day in early February. It appears the plan is to have the pair platoon in left field, though Acee suggests that direction could change depending on how the players perform in spring training. If Joe is part of a platoon, he'll serve on the short side, though his splits weren't dramatic last year -- he had a .670 OPS against right-handed pitching and a .715 OPS versus southpaws.
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Padres' Connor Joe: Headed to San Diego
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Joe signed a contract with the Padres on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Joe was non-tendered by the Pirates in November after spending the last two seasons in Pittsburgh. He appeared in 256 regular-season games for the Pirates and slashed .238/.330/.396 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI over that span. The 32-year-old Joe should see some playing time in the outfield and at first base for the Padres in 2025.
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Connor Joe: Entering free agency
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The Pirates non-tendered Joe on Friday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Joe will enter free agency after spending the last two seasons with the Pirates. He slashed .228/.320/.368 with nine home runs and 36 RBI over 416 major-league plate appearances in 2024. The 32-year-old Joe will explore his options on the open market.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Slugs ninth homer
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Joe went 3-for-4 with a solo home run two RBI and two walks Wednesday against the Cubs.
He got the start in right field in place of Bryan De La Cruz, and Joe delivered his second home run in his last three appearances. Though his playing time has come primarily against lefties, Rowdy Tellez (undisclosed) exited Wednesday's game early, and Joe would be the likely replacement if Tellez is out for an extended period.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Filling in for resting De La Cruz
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Joe will start in right field and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
After filling in for the left-handed-hitting Rowdy Tellez at first base while southpaw Justin Steele was on the hill for Chicago, Joe will retain a spot in the lineup in the series finale while the Cubs send righty Kyle Hendricks to the hill. Joe will be stepping in in right field in place of Bryan De La Cruz, who appears to be getting some routine maintenance after starting in each of the last eight games. Joe's opportunities to make starts against right-handed pitching are still expected to remain fairly limited during the final month of the season.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Racks up three hits
Rotowire
Joe went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Astros.
Joe notched his first multi-hit game since June 26. The 31-year-old is batting a meager .224 (11-for-49) in July, and just two of those hits have gone for extra bases. For the season, he's slashing .244/.325/.383 with seven home runs, 31 RBI, 42 runs scored and two stolen bases across 332 plate appearances. Joe got the start in right field Tuesday, but he'll likely be back in a short-side platoon role at first base once outfielder Bryan De La Cruz reports to the Pirates after they acquired him in a trade with the Marlins earlier in the day.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Back on bench in Reynolds' return
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Joe is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Astros.
Joe had picked up starts in three of the Pirates' last four games, but his run of regular playing time will likely come to an end after Bryan Reynolds (personal) reinstated from the bereavement list Monday. The Pirates should still clear a spot in the lineup for the right-handed-hitting Joe against left-handed pitching more often than not.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Out of lineup Friday
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Joe is absent from the starting nine for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Joe has started four of the Pirates' six games following the All-Star break, facing two left-handed pitchers and two right-handers, but he will be idle Friday against righty Zac Gallen. With Bryan Reynolds on the bereavement list, Joe could see a minor bump in playing time in the short term. In 317 plate appearances, he's slashing .243/.328/.389 with seven home runs.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Stuck in lengthy slump
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Joe went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Saturday against the Mets.
Joe has been limited exclusively to a short-side platoon role at first base since Rowdy Tellez has gotten improved results at the plate, though Joe has also split time with Edward Olivares and Joshua Palacios in right field. Joe will likely continue to lose plate appearances so long as he remains cold at the dish, as he's hit only .176 with one home run, five RBI and seven runs scored since June 1 and across 74 at-bats.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Losing work against right-handers
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Joe is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.
Joe is on the bench for the Pirates' third straight matchup with a right-handed starting pitcher (Carson Spiers) and looks to have faded into a short-side platoon role. Edward Olivares looks to have overtaken Joe as the Pirates' preferred option in right field versus righties.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Day off Saturday
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Joe isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Saturday's game versus Tampa Bay.
Joe has gone 0-for-13 with four strikeouts in his last four games, and he'll now get a day to regroup Saturday. His absence will open up a spot in right field for Edward Olivares to start while batting seventh.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: On bench against righty
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Joe is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.
Joe is sitting against a right-handed starting pitcher (Dakota Hudson) for the second time in four games, perhaps indicating that his standing as an everyday player could be on shaky ground. After producing a .794 OPS through the first two months of the season, Joe is slashing .167/.271/.310 since the beginning of June.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Heading to bench Thursday
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Joe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.
Joe will take a seat for the series finale along with two of the other Pirates' everyday players in Andrew McCutchen and Nick Gonzales. Though he's been one of the Pirates' better hitters for much of the season, Joe has fallen into a 2-for-27 skid at the plate over his last eight games.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Timely hit against Twins
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Joe went 1-for-5 with a triple and two RBI on Sunday against the Twins.
Joe delivered his lone hit of the game in the fifth inning to give the Pirates a brief lead. He has five RBI and seven runs scored across his last 10 games, though that production has primarily come due to timely hitting as he is just 7-for-38 overall in that span. Joe remains a near everyday player for Pittsburgh, playing primarily in right field against right-handed pitching while shifting to first base against lefties.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Exits starting nine
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Joe is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Dodgers.
It's the first time since May 13 that Joe has been absent from the Pirates' starting nine. Rowdy Tellez will occupy first base and Edward Olivares will patrol right field while Joe gets some rest.
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Pirates' Connor Joe: Scores three runs
Rotowire
Joe went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored Friday against Atlanta.
Joe doubled in the first and third innings and came around to score on each occasion. The performance marked his first multi-hit game in his last six starts and his first extra-base knock in eight contests. With Jack Suwinski optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Joe's status as a regular in the lineup should be cemented.
