The Pirates positioned first baseman/designated hitter Spencer Horwitz on the 10-day injured listing attributable to a strained left hamstring, per a staff announcement. Infielder Jack Brannigan has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to fill his spot on the roster. He’s not within the lineup immediately however will make his large league debut the primary time he takes the sphere.
Horwitz has considerably quietly been one of many league’s most efficient hitters for practically a calendar yr now. Over the previous 11 months or so, the 28-year-old has stepped to the plate 514 occasions and batted .295/.393/.492 with an enormous 13% stroll charge and as tiny 13.6% strikeout charge. He’s linked on 19 homers, 27 doubles and a triple alongside the way in which. By measure of wRC+, he’s been 46% higher than a league-average hitter in what’s near a full season’s value of at-bats.
Suffice it to say, dropping Horwitz even for a brief spell is a considerable blow to Pittsburgh’s offense. The staff has but to specify simply how lengthy he’s anticipated to be sidelined. Nevertheless lengthy Horwitz is on the shelf, Ryan O’Hearn will doubtless play first base day by day. He certainly will get the nod there immediately, hitting fifth, with rookie Esmerlyn Valdez beginning in proper discipline (O’Hearn’s major place this season).
As for the 25-year-old Brannigan, he’ll make the leap straight from Double-A to the majors. Pittsburgh’s third-round decide again in 2022, Brannigan missed time early this season after struggling a damaged nostril throughout spring coaching when a screaming grounder took a wild short-hop and caught him within the face. Since returning, he’s taken a complete of 173 plate appearances and slashed .231/.347/.517. Like Horwitz, Brannigan boasts an enormous stroll charge (13.3%), however he’s been far too vulnerable to swinging and lacking. He’s fanned in 39% of his minor league plate appearances this season and punched out at a 26.2% clip in Double-A final yr earlier than present process season-ending shoulder surgical procedure (labrum restore).
Brannigan’s hit device has all the time been his greatest query mark. Scouting studies peg him as a mean runner with above-average energy, a plus arm and sound protection at both place on the left facet of the infield. He’s additionally performed a good bit of second base. That versatility will give Pittsburgh skipper Don Kelly some choices to combine and match across the infield at a time when standout rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin is on the injured listing. Jared Triolo has seen nearly all of shortstop reps in Griffin’s absence however is hitting solely .225/.299/.268 in 159 plate appearances this season.
Pittsburgh chosen Brannigan to the 40-man roster this previous November with a purpose to defend him from December’s Rule 5 Draft. As such, he’s within the first of three minor league choice years. Griffin is locked in at shortstop over the lengthy haul after signing a nine-year extension, and former top-10 decide Nick Gonzales has settled in as a productive hit-over-power choice on the sizzling nook this season. He might transfer again over to second base subsequent yr, the place he’s higher suited defensively, relying what occurs with slugger Brandon Lowe in free company this winter. Whether or not at second or third, there might be a possibility for Brannigan and different younger infielders in future seasons, however Brannigan might want to considerably reduce down on his strikeouts to have an actual shot at carving out a job within the Pirates’ long-term infield image.
