Pirates Claim Dodgers Pitcher Off Waivers
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made a recent roster move, adding another pitcher to the franchise, who will likely serve as a bullpen option in the future.
The Pirates announced that they claimed Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Jack Little off of waivers and placed him on the 40-man roster, making him the 39th player with just one opening remaining. They also optioned Little to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Little has made two appearances at the MLB level, both coming with the Dodgers in 2025 and over the past two months.
The Dodgers selected his contract on June 19 from Triple-A Oklahoma City and he pitched that day against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
Little struggled in his MLB debut, giving up four hits, one walk, hit a batter and two earned runs over two innings pitched in the 5-3 defeat.
The Dodgers then optioned him back to Oklahoma City before recalling him on July 5, where he made his second appearance against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
Little had a much better outing, throwing a scoreless inning and posting a strikeout in the 6-4 defeat.
The Dodgers then optioned him back to Triple-A again and designated him for assignment on Aug. 4, allowing the Pirates to claim him off waivers.
Little pitched for Stanford from 2017-19 and dominated as a sophomore, with a 0.60 ERA over 25 appearances and 45.1 innings pitched, 16 saves and 58 strikeouts to eight walks, earning First Team All-American honors.
The Dodgers took Little in the fifth round with the 161st overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He made 11 starts in 2019, with a 3.27 ERA over 22.0 innings pitched.
Little didn't pitch in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the minor league season, but came back in 2021 with High-A Great Lakes.
He didn't pitch in the 2022 season, but returned in 2023 with Double-A Tulsa, pitched with Tulsa and Oklahoma City in 2024 and then solely with Oklahoma City in 2025.
Little made 36 appearances for Oklahoma City in 2025, with a 5-4 record, a 4.64 ERA over 42.2 innings pitched, 13 saves over 16 opportunities, 39 strikeouts to 19 walks, a .242 opposing batting average and a 1.36 WHIP.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.