Notes: 3-4 Week; Injury List Keeps Growing; Pittsburgh Honors; Villalobos Claimed

April showers...

Notes:

• The Bucs opened the week dropping two-of-three to the 'Stros at PNC and went off to St. Louis, where they split a four game series. The starters are stepping up, but the pen is still too thin.
• SS Oneil Cruz had surgery on his broken ankle; he's expected to miss four months before returning to action. He was placed on the 60-day IL; Mark Mathias was recalled to take his spot. Mathias is a jack of all trades with a .256 career BA in 46 career games with a lot of DH time who the Bucs acquired from Texas in March.
• The Pirates reported Tuesday that RHP JT Brubaker had TJ surgery to reconstruct his UCL on Wednesday and will miss 14-16 months.

No JT for awhile - 2021 Topps Archive

• LHP Rob Zastryzny was placed on the 15-day IL with left elbow discomfort; RHP Yohan Ramirez was recalled from Indy, leaving the Bucs with one bullpen lefty, Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez. If you were wondering, Rich  Hill is the only lefty starter, Utility guy Tucupita Marcano was called up Saturday to replace 1B Ji-Man Choi, who was placed on the 10-day IL with a strained left Achilles. Choi was scratched on Friday, though he's been playing through soreness since camp, and may more miss time than the 10 days. C Austin Hedges was recalled from the seven-day concussion IL, and Tyler Heineman has been optioned back to Indy. RHP Robert Stephenson was also reinstated from the IL, trading spots with RHP Chase De Jong, who went on the 15-day IL with a back strain.
• Bryan Reynolds was named last week's NL Player of the Week. He batted .480 with four homers, 12 RBI, nine runs scored and a couple of stolen bases added to the package. The Pirates started the year off 6-3; B-Rey had raps in all nine games, including a trio of three-hit games. And no, no news on his contract. In a sweep of sorts, Marcano was selected as the International League POTW, batting .526 by rolling seven - he had seven runs driven home, seven runs tallied and a seven-game hitting steak and was called up as an injury replacement.
• Pittsburgh claimed righty reliever Eli Villalobos, 25, off waivers from the Marlins, optioned him to Indy and transferred SS Oneil Cruz to the 60-day IL Villalobos is another in a long line of strikeout artist projects the Bucs are so fond of; so far, he's topped out at AAA. He did have a strong 2022 split between AA & AAA (5-2-14/2.86 w/11.6 K per 9 IP), so... 
• 2B Nick Gonzales left Sunday's Indy game with a left shoulder injury. RHP Mike Burrows is getting a second opinion on his elbow injuries; GM Ben said he was "gonna be out for awhile..."