Pirates Make Two Outfield Changes for Padres Game
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates look to get an important road sweep and will do so with a changed outfield
The Pirates take on the San Diego Padres in the series finale on Aug. 26, where they made corner outfield changes before it, to get their best lineup in for the game.
Bryan Reynolds moves to designated hitter, so Jake Mangum shifts to left field and rookie Esmerlyn Valdez comes back in right field.
Oneil Cruz remains the constant for Pittsburgh, staying in center field and leading the group, following his go-ahead solo home run off of Padres closer Mason Miller in the ninth inning of the 1-0 win on Aug. 25.
What is the Pirates Best Outfield?
The Pirates finally got Cruz back after missing two months, 72 days, with a left hand fracture that requried a long and tough injury rehab.
Cruz has been great for the Pirates since his return, with three home runs, including two other two-run home runs, plus an RBI-single and an RBI-triple.
He is slashing .217/.333/.696 for an OPS of 1.029 in his seven games since coming back and that home run off of Miller ended 12 at-bats without a hit.
Cruz coming back means that the Pirates can deploy Mangum in the corner outfield spots and also play a little center field too if Cruz needs a day off, particularly following his left hand fracture.
Reynolds also has more chances to feature at designated hitter and the Pirates need him to get going offensively, as he's hit .214/.292/.303 for an OPS of .595 in the second half of 2026 and hasn't hit a home run since July 28.
Valdez will certainly feature mostly in right field and finally found his power again, with his solo home run off of Padres left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray in the sixth inning, which broke the deadlock between both teams.
It was an important home run, despite the Pirates not winning until the 12th inning, as Valdez hadn't hit a home run since July 26 and also, it came against a left-handed pitcher, who the Pirates have struggled against all 2026.
Valdez, despite hitting .177 between both home runs, is still showing good plate discipline, with a .330 on-base percentage, as he continues finding ways to succeed against major league pitching.
The Pirates' best outfield has a combination of all four of these players, but Reynolds in left field, Cruz in center field and Valdez in right field is how they'll go with mostly.
Pirates Lineup vs. Padres
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Designated Hitter | Switch |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Field | Right |
Oneil Cruz | Center Field | Left |
Nick Gonzales | Third Base | Right |
Jake Mangum | Left Field | Switch |
Rafael Flores Jr. | Catcher | Right |
Jacob Gonzalez | Shortstop | Left |
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.