Notes: 2-4 Week: Gotta Score To Win; Injured Come & Go; Minor League Ratings, Honors, News; Old Bucs On the Move

The kids - good, bad and ugly...

Notes:

• The Bucs started the week in the Big Apple to take on the Mets. Quinn Priester was banged around in the opener, and the Pirates dropped a 7-2 decision. The next day, the Pirates optioned Priester, (2-2/9.10 in six starts) back to Indy and recalled RHP Yohan Ramirez. In the next outing, the Bucs stranded 10 runners over the first six innings before finally posting six runs in the seventh to earn Colin Selby his first MLB win, 7-4. The Mets won the rubber match, 8-3; the Pirates just leaked too many runs. After an off day, it was off to Minnesota. The Twinkies won the kickoff, 5-1, as the Pirates went 1-for-14 w/RISP. Mitch Keller fanned 12 Twinkies in six innings, Cutch homered with five RBI, and the Pirates took Game #2, 7-4. Bryan Reynolds had the Pirates only two hits in the finale; they wasted a good outing, dropping a 2-0 decision.
• 2B/CF Ji Hwan Bae (ankle) was activated from the 10-day IL and IF Jared Triolo was optioned back to Indy.
• RHP Dauri Moreta (back) began his rehab assignment with Indianapolis. He returned from the 15-day IL on Sunday and LHP Angel Perdomo (left elbow) took Dauri's place  on it.

Dauri Moreta - 2023 photo Pirates

• MLB Pipeline recalculated their minor league system rankings to reflect the draft; the Pirates rated second. It's a race to stockpile young talent in the Central Division - Milwaukee, Chicago and Cincinnati come in at 3, 4 & 5. The Cards lag behind at #22. Baseball America (paywall) has the Bucs ranked fourth behind the Orioles, Brewers and Dodgers.
• 3B Jack Brannigan of the Greensboro Grasshoppers was named the Player of the Week for the Hi-A South Atlantic (Sally) League. He hit .370 with five dingers (he  had a 5-game HR streak) and 13 runs chased home. Jack was a third round pick in 2022 draft out of Notre Dame.
• Multi-positional Charles McAdoo of the Bradenton Marauders was selected as the Player of the Week for the Lo-A Florida State League. Charles hit .625 with two homers and nine RBI in four games last week. He was this year's 13th pick in the draft from San Jose State.
• Paul Skenes got an inning on Tuesday with Lo-A Bradenton and allowed one hit, no runs, and struck out a pair on 16 pitches. He got two innings on Sunday and struck out a pair with no hits or walks, but uncorked one wild pitch and allowed one runner via error.

Temarr Johnson - 2023 MLB Pipeline

• 2B Temarr Johnson got smacked in the hand with a pitch on Thursday. Tests came back negative and he was listed as day-to-day. He returned Saturday and swatted a grand slam, so it appears that Temarr dodged the bullet.
• A two-fer of once-Bucs: the San Diego Padres called up OF Ben Gamel from AAA and placed 1B Ji-Man Choi on the 10-day IL with a left ribcage strain. 
• IF Josh Harrison, 36, released by the Phils a couple of weeks ago, has signed with the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox also signed CF Travis Swaggerty, whom the Pirates released from Indy last month, to a minor league deal.
• LHP Chasen Shreve has signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati. He had been released by Detroit, his third team since leaving the Bucs after the 2021 campaign.
• IF/OF Cole Tucker's stay with Colorado lasted a week; he was DFA'ed to clear a spot after Charlie Blackmon's return from the IL, cleared waivers and was assigned back to AAA.