Pirates Change Outfield Before Red Sox Game
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates look to keep their momentum going and will have a different outfield that they hope will ensure that.
The Pirates have Bryan Reynolds as designated hitter and Esmerlyn Valdez taking over his spot in left field ahead of their next game vs. the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on Aug. 15.
Ronny Simon, who served as designated hitter in the 8-4 win over the Red Sox in the series opener on Aug. 14, takes over in right field.
Jake Mangum stays in center field, marking the only outfielder who stays put from the Pirates' last game.
Pirates Outfield Outlook for Rest of 2026
The Pirates are waiting for the return of center fielder Oneil Cruz, who is currently on a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona.
Cruz hasn't played for the Pirates since June 7, after fracturing his left hand, that has required a lengthy rehab process to get him back ready to face and hit off major league pitching.
Mangum has taken his spot in center field, batting .300/.349/.414 for an OPS of .762 in Cruz's absence.
The Pirates have also relied on Valdez in right field, who has had a strong rookie season, earning that position with his solid defense and also his great hitting, .250/.366/.557 for an OPS of .923.
Valdez has 14 home runs this season, but hasn't hit one since July 26 in an 8-7 win over the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, almost three weeks.
He is currently working out of a slump and has five hits in his past 15 at-bats, with the Pirates hoping he gets back to his best hitting soon enough.
Reynolds has left field down, but is also regularly at designated hitter, as he looks to play all 162 games this season.
It's been a struggle for Reynolds post All-Star break, slashing .200/.282/.295 for an OPS of .577, which is 300 points lower than his .877 OPS in the first half of the season.
The Pirates also have Billy Cook off the bench and they'll bring him on as a defensive substitution and also as a pinch-runner.
Simon will keep getting opportunities, as he can feature in both corner outfield spots and provides speed and him being a switch-hitter gets him more chances as well.
Pirates Lineup vs. Red Sox
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Designated Hitter | Switch |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Left Field | Right |
Ronny Simon | Right Field | Switch |
Jacob Gonzalez | Shortstop | Left |
Jake Mangum | Center Field | Switch |
Rafael Flores Jr. | Catcher | Right |
Jared Triolo | Third Base | Right |
Third baseman Nick Gonzales isn't starting for the Pirates after his hit by pitch in the last game, but he isn't out injured and should be available off the bench.
Jared Triolo moves over from shortstop to third base and drops to ninth in the batting order, while Jacob Gonzales comes in at shortstop and will bat sixth.
Rafael Flores Jr. drops to ninth in batting order and takes over at catcher for Henry Davis and has hit three home runs in his past two games, while also hitting an RBI-single in the win over the Red Sox in the series opener.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz will bat leadoff for the second time in three games, after not playing in the last game.
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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.