Pirates Make Infield Changes Before Tigers Game
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will aim for another series win and changed up their lineup in hopes of doing so.
The Pirates brought back Nick Gonzales into the infield, but at second base, instead of third base where he has played most of 2026.
Brandon Lowe will move to designated hitter for his ninth start in 2026 and the fourth time in August.
Spencer Horwitz stays at first base, Jared Triolo continues at third base and Jacob Gonzalez plays shortstop, keeping that trio together for the second straight game.
Pirates Infield Outlook the Rest of 2026
The Pirates have used different variations of their infield to find the best pairing throughout 2026 and get the most out of them.
Lowe and Horwitz will occupy the right side of the infield most often at second base and first base, respectively, especially with Ryan O'Hearn still out with a quad injury for the next five weeks or so.
The left side of the infield is more flexible, especially with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin out through early-mid September with the left ring finger sagittal band injury, which he is progressing from.
Gonzalez has featured mostly at shortstop, but not had the production offensively, batting .205/.224/.411 for an OPS of .635.
Triolo has worked between shortstop and third base, but has taken over third base more often, with 10 starts in 18 games in August.
Gonzales missed a couple games after getting hit in the face with a pitch vs. the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on Aug. 14, but has played two games at second base this series vs. the Tigers, also doing so in the 8-5 loss in the series opener.
He has struggled massively defensively, especially at third base, where he has -14 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -11 outs above average (OAA), ranking the worst and second-worst of any MLB third baseman in 2026.
The Pirates will likely try to have Triolo start more games at third base, given his Gold Glove Award fielding there, and have Gonzales in other spots to maximize his hitting, with his .308 batting average tied-fourth best in MLB.
Pirates Lineup vs. Tigers
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Designated Hitter | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Fielder | Switch |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Fielder | Right |
Oneil Cruz | Center Fielder | Left |
Nick Gonzales | Second Base | Right |
Jacob Gonzalez | Shortstop | Left |
Jared Triolo | Third Base | Right |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
The Pirates will keep the same hitters, one-through-five, as they had in the 4-1 win over the Tigers on Aug. 18.
Horwitz leads off and Lowe bats second, then the outfield comes in with Bryan Reynolds moving back to left field, after serving as designated hitter yesterday and hitting third, right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez bats fourth and center fielder Oneil Cruz hits fifth.
Cruz returned to the lineup for the first time in more than two months and hit a two-run home run in the victory for the Pirates over the Tigers.
Gonzales comes in and bats sixth, Gonzalez and Triolo move up a spot and hit seventh and eighth, respectively, while Henry Davis comes in at catcher for starting pitcher Paul Skenes, batting ninth.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.