Pirates Hopeful for Nick Gonzales' Injury
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had injuries throughout their infield, but those players are making progress with their rehab.
Nick Gonzales hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning in the Pirates home opener vs. the Miami Marlins on March 27, giving his team a 4-1 lead.
He ran around the bases, but with a limp, as it was clear he hurt something during his home run trot. The Pirates would take Gonzales out of the game, with Adam Frazier coming in at second base.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton said after the game that he suffered some pain from two foul balls off his left ankle against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 19. He also didn't like what he saw from him running around the bases, so he had to make the change.
Pittsburgh placed Gonzales on the 10-day Injured List on March 28 with a non-displaced fracture of the left ankle, with Enmanuel Valdez coming up as his replacement.
Gonzales was originally non-weight bearing back on April 2 and using a scooter to get around, but as of the latest update from Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, Gonzales is now weight bearing.
His next step for his rehab will occur in 10 days, when Gonzales undergoes serial imaging, which the Pirates hope will bring good news.
"If we get the healing that we'd like to see, then it's off to the races for Gonzo," Tomczyk said to José Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports.
Jared Triolo was a last minute scratch for the Pirates in the series finale vs. the New York Yankees on April 6 at PNC Park.
He left due to lower back discomfort, with Sheltons saying that Triolo's back locked up about 15 minutes before the game.
Triolo went on the Injured List on April 7, as the Pirates called up infielder Tsung-Che Cheng from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Tomczyk said that Triolo has improved every day since his injury, but that he hadn't resumed baseball activities as of April 9. He also said that Triolo will likely need a rehab assignment.
Triolo has played in six games for the Pirates this season, starting five of them. He started two games each at first base and second base and also one at third base. Had he started at shorstop like he was supposed to, he would've started all positions in the infield for the Pirates in the first 10 games.
He has struggled immensely from the plate, with just one hit in 17 at-bats, batting .059, with one walk and five strikeouts.
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.