Happy Re-Opening Weekend & Fourth;
Notes:
- It never ends: OF Ka'ai Tom has been placed on the 10-day IL (retro to 7/2) due to a low back strain and RHP Kyle Keller has been recalled from Indy. Pittsburgh has also acquired 1B John Nogowski, who had been DFA'ed, from St. Louis for cash and should be ready to join the roster Monday. To clear a 40-man roster space for Nogo, RHP Geoff Hartlieb was DFA'ed. Oh, and Cody Ponce left Saturday's game due to right arm soreness. The next day, the club recalled RHP Nick Mears from the Tribe and optioned Ponce back to Indy, so we guess his arm is feeling better. RHP Luis Oviedo (quad strain) is beginning his rehab assignment at Indy on Sunday
- Additionally, prospects RHP Roansy Contreras and SS Oneil Cruz have right forearm soreness and will be seen in Pittsburgh this week for evaluation, per Ben Cherington.
- CF Bryan Reynolds was named to the ASG as a reserve via the Player's Ballot, joining 2B Adam Frazier as a first-time All Star.
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| Yes, he is an All Star - image Pgh Pirates |
- Tyler Anderson has gone at least five innings in all 16 of his starts this season,
- The Brewers had won 11 in a row and the Pirates had lost six straight until the Buccos 2-0 win on the 4th behind Anderson.
- In a depth deal, the Pirates have acquired LHP Nathan Kirby, 27, from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for UT Kevin Kramer, also 27. Both are coming off prior year injuries; the Pirates are hoping Kirby, who was assigned to the Curve, can fill a bullpen role and the Brew Crew that Kramer, sent to AAA Nashville, can provide some versatile organizational depth. Both were high picks in 2015; Kirby was a first-rounder and KK went in the second.
- Neil Walker will join AT&T SportsNet for nine games as an analyst. His first broadcast will be August 13th. and he'll also do some radio work. The Kid is supposed to announce the Bucs #1 draft pick, too. The moves were announced Saturday on his tribute day at PNC Park, which drew the biggest crowd of the year at 17,451 (postgame fireworks helped).
- A local name joins the Olympics: 31-year-old RHP Scott McGough of Plum HS was picked for the bullpen of the US team. He was a fifth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2011 and got his only MLB call in 2015, tossing for Miami. Scott's been pitching in Japan since 2019.
- Early Pittsburgh player-agent Tom Reich (Allderdice, Pitt, Duquesne) passed away Friday in LA at age 82. He started his career in 1970, representing Dock Ellis, Dave Parker, John Candelaria and Manny Sanguillen of the Pirates. The feisty Reich also handled deals for stars like Joe Morgan, George Foster, Jack Clark and Sammy Sosa before branching into hockey.
Kevin Kramer looked like he was going to be a player when he was in the lower-to-middle minors, but he seemed to plateau at Triple-A, and he certainly looked overmatched at the big league level. That's how it goes with prospects. You never really know until you know.
ReplyDeleteYep Will, I remember when he and Newman went the next big thing and Frazier was the afterthought. And its looking more and more like Cole Tucker is turning into Brian Bixler. C'est la vie.
ReplyDeleteTucker never passed the eyeballs test for me. He just doesn't look like a ballplayer. Some guys are very athletic but simply don't have "it". I think Tucker is in that category.
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