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Pirates' Brandon Lowe: Doubles twice against Tampa Bay
Rotowire
Lowe went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI during the Pirates' 5-1 win over the Rays on Friday.
Lowe gave the Pirates insurance runs in the eighth after his double to center field brought home both Billy Cook and Konnor Griffin. It was the seventh multi-hit game of the season for Lowe, four of which have come over his last six games. In that six-game span, he has gone 11-for-25 (.440) with four home runs and 14 RBI.
Cruz went 1-for-4 with a walk and a two-run home run during the Pirates' 5-1 win over the Rays on Friday.
Cruz put the Pirates up for good in the sixth inning after taking Griffin Jax deep to right-center field for a two-run long ball. It was Cruz's sixth home run of the season and fourth in 15 games since April 1. He's off to a terrific start to 2026, slashing .313/.382/.588 with nine steals (on 10 attempts), six home runs and 19 RBI across 89 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Bubba Chandler: First win of 2026
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Chandler (1-1) earned the win against the Rays on Friday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out three across six innings.
Chandler punched out only three batters while generating eight whiffs, but he was incredibly efficient with his pitches, tossing 62 strikes on 90 pitches (68.9 percent). He retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced, and he limited the damage in the sixth inning to one run after allowing three baserunners on. Not only was it Chandler's first win of the season, it was also his first quality start and the first time he completed six frames. He has yielded three earned runs or less in each of his first four outings of the season and has a 3.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 17:13 K:BB across 20 innings. Chandler is lined up to face the Rangers on the road next week.
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Pirates' Jose Urquidy: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Pirates optioned Urquidy to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.
Urquidy has been knocked around in a middle relief role, allowing 10 runs (six earned) on 15 hits with a 6:2 K:BB across 6.1 innings. He could get stretched back out at Indianapolis as rotation depth. Cam Sanders will take Urquidy's spot in the Pirates' bullpen.
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Pirates' Yohan Ramirez: Rocky appearance in loss
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Ramirez allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two in the seventh inning of Thursday's 8-7 extra-inning loss to Washington.
Ramirez was charged with a blown save, allowing the go-ahead run at the time due to a wild pitch to give the Nationals a 7-6 lead. The 30-year-old has appeared in nine games for Pittsburgh, recording a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings. The right-hander has posted at least two strikeouts in seven of his nine relief outings, working more than one inning five times and picking up two wins and a hold.
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Pirates' Cam Sanders: Joining big-league bullpen
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The Pirates recalled Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
It's unclear at this time what the corresponding roster move will be. Sanders has yielded two runs with an 11:7 K:BB over six frames with Indianapolis. The 29-year-old got a cup of coffee with the Pirates last season, allowing six runs with a 4:5 K:BB in 6.2 innings.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Two more stolen bases
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Cruz went 2-for-5 with an RBI, a double, a run scored and two stolen bases Thursday against the Nationals.
Cruz started his fifth straight game with a lefty starter on the mound, and he's only been benched once against southpaws this season. He continued his hot start to the campaign, doubling in a run in the fifth inning. Cruz also swiped two bases, giving him nine across 19 games while being caught just once.
Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft: Surrenders five in no-decision
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Ashcraft settled for a no-decision Thursday against the Nationals, allowing five runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out seven in 5.2 innings.
Ashcraft's streak of allowing two or fewer earned runs in a start this season extended to four, however, the five total runs he gave up Thursday are a career worst. The 26-year-old continues to strike batters out at a high rate, with his seven punchouts versus Washington bringing his total up to 27 against just seven walks through 22.2 innings this year. The right-hander is lined up to wrestle with the Rangers, which are tied for fifth in MLB with 21 home runs, in his next start.
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Pirates' Marcell Ozuna: Slaps three-run homer in loss
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Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a walk and a three-run home run during Thursday's 8-7 loss to the Nationals.
Ozuna has been mired in a big slump to start the season, but he seems to be shaking that off and heating up as of late. The 35-year-old crushed his first home run of the season Thursday, a three-run homer in the fifth that allowed the Pirates to match a four-run inning by the Nationals with one of their own. After having just two hits in the first 10 games, the 14-year veteran has five hits as part of a four-game hit streak.
Pirates' Edward Florentino: Playing in extended spring games
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Florentino (ankle) has progressed to playing in extended spring training games this week, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
Florentino has been sidelined all season with a left ankle injury that dates back to February. The Pirates will see how the top prospect handles extended spring action before determining whether to send him on an official rehab assignment or activate him from the 7-day injured list at High-A Greensboro. Florentino was one of the biggest prospect breakouts in 2025 when he slashed .290/.400/.548 between the Florida Complex League and Single-A Bradenton.
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Pirates' Anthony Solometo: Recurring shoulder issues
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Solometo is sidelined at Double-A Altoona with recurring left shoulder discomfort, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
Solometo missed much of the 2025 season with shoulder problems, and they're evidently still nagging at him early on in the 2026 season. The lefty will get another opinion from Dr. Keith Meister before a decision is made on how best to proceed. He yielded four runs with a 0:2 K:BB over two innings in his first two appearances for Altoona before getting hurt.
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Pirates' Mike Clevinger: Nursing sprained knee
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Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Clevinger will be immobilized for several weeks before resuming workouts. The veteran right-hander has been pitching out of the bullpen at Triple-A Indianapolis, allowing five runs with a 9:5 K:BB across 8.2 innings. He won't be an option for the Pirates until sometime in June, at the earliest.
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Pirates' Jared Triolo: Will run bases next week
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Triolo (knee) is scheduled to resume running the bases next week, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Triolo has already been doing all other baseball activities and is set to take a big step next week when he runs the bases. The utility infielder is less than two weeks removed from going down with a patellar tendon injury in his right knee but looks to be making swift progress. A timetable for his return could become clearer after he runs the bases next week.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Playing time trending up
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Bart will start at catcher and bat seventh in Thursday's game against the Nationals.
It's the fifth start across the last eight contests for Bart, who could be emerging the 1A to Henry Davis' 1B at catcher for the Pirates. Bart is hitting only .136/.231/.273 this season but did hit his first home run of the season in his last start Tuesday.
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Pirates' Henry Davis: Losing playing time
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Davis is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Nationals.
After starting eight of the first 11 games of the season, Davis has been in the lineup just three times across the past eight tilts. Davis' production at the plate has picked up a bit recently, but he's slashing just .216/.326/.297 overall. Joey Bart (.136/.231/.273) has been even worse, but he might have inched past Davis on the depth chart.
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Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn: Sitting versus southpaw
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O'Hearn is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Nationals.
The left-handed-hitting O'Hearn has been getting an opportunity to play against most lefties this season, but he'll begin this one on the bench as the Nationals send southpaw Foster Griffin to the hill. Jake Mangum will occupy right field and bat leadoff for the Pirates.
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Pirates' Bryan Reynolds: Grabbing first day off
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Reynolds is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Nationals.
It's the first day off this season for Reynolds, who boasts a .288/.400/.470 batting line with three home runs in his first 18 games this season. Billy Cook will handle left field and bat ninth for the Pirates in Thursday's series finale.
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