Pirates Make Outfield Changes Before Braves Series
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates take on the best team in baseball in the Atlanta Braves and have changed their outfield ahead of the first game of the series.
The Pirates put Bryan Reynolds back in left field and have rookie Jhostynxon Garcia starting in right field, as they take on the Braves in the series opener at Truist Park on June 5.
Reynolds started at designated hitter in the 5-1 win over the Houston Astros in the series finale at Daikin Park and goes back to left field, where he's started 44 games this season.
Garcia makes his second start in the past three games in right field and this is his third time doing so, plus his ninth start of 2026.
Reynolds takes over for Jake Mangum in left field and Garcia takes over for Ryan O'Hearn in right field, who made his first start at the position since his recent injury in the last game.
Overlook at Pirates Outfield in 2026
The Pirates have mainly gone with Reynolds in left field, Oneil Cruz in center field and Ryan O'Hearn in right field.
O'Hearn suffered a right quad muscle injury on May 16, which then saw him spend two weeks on the 10-day injured list, before returning to play.
The Pirates are likely making sure that O'Hearn eases back into playing outfield and also first base, as they don't want to reaggravate his injury, as he's been one of their best bats so far this season.
Mangum is the Pirates "fourth outfielder", featuring at all three spots, with 26 starts in 45 games played, including 14 starts in 28 games played in left field.
He's also been great at the plate the past two series, slashing .529/.526/.765 for an OPS of 1.291 in six games, with nine hits in 17 at-bats, a double, a home run, three RBI, four stolen bases and a walk.
Garcia is in his third week with the Pirates and has had his struggles at the plate, slashing .219/.265/.250 for an OPS of .515 in 11 games, with seven hits in 32 at-bats.
He did hit his first MLB double in his last start, which scored a run, but the Pirates will want to see his power and a first home run from him in the near future.
Pirates Lineup vs. the Braves
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Nick Gonzales | Third Base | Right |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Oneil Cruz | Center Field | Right |
Jhostynxon Garcia | Right Field | Right |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Jared Triolo | Shortstop | Right |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
Third baseman Nick Gonzales bats leadoff for the Pirates against the Braves, for just the fourth time this season and the first time since May 23, a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz, who hit leadoff in the past eight games for the Pirates, will bat seventh in this one.
The Pirates are facing former player and Braves left-handed starting pitcher Martín Pérez, which sees them putting in six right-handed batters and a switch-hitter.
Marcell Ozuna returns to designated hitter for the second time in just eight games, as his slash line of .190/.277/.305 for an OPS of .582 is one of the worst in baseball, and bats fourth.
It also marks the return of Ozuna to Atlanta, where he spent the previous six seasons, and was an All-Star, Sliver Slugger Award winner and led the National League in both home runs (18) and RBI (56) in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, plus was an All-Star in 2024.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe and Reynolds will bat second and third, respectively, while Cruz and Garcia bat fifth and sixth, respectively.
Shortstop Jared Triolo moves up to eighth and catcher Henry Davis bats ninth, returning after hitting his first career grand slam in the 11-9 loss to the Astros on June 3.
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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.