Pirates Utility Man Taking Advantage of Opportunities
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have called upon many different players this season to fill a role when they've needed it most and one player is doing exactly that right now.
The Pirates recalled utility man Nick Yorke from Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 16 and his recent performances could keep him with the team for longer than expected.
Yorke showed off his glove at third base and also gave the Pirates a valuable right-handed bat in the past two games as well.
It's just the beginning for Yorke, but the Pirates may have just found a player who can help them in numerous areas going forward.
Yorke Excelling Early On for Pirates
It was a quick turnaround for Yorke, who didn't make it to PNC Park until noon on Aug. 16, just an hour and a half from first pitch in the series finale vs. the Boston Red Sox.
That didn't matter much for Yorke, who settled in quickly and finished with two hits in four at-bats, including a bases-loaded single that scored two runs in the third inning to make it 6-0 and an RBI-single in the eighth inning to secure an 8-3 win for the Pirates.
Yorke came through again vs. the Detroit Tigers in the series opener at PNC Park on Aug. 17, with two hits in four at-bats, which featured a bases-loaded double, scoring all three runs to cut the Tigers' lead to 8-4 in the sixth inning of the eventual 8-5 defeat.
He also showed off his defense at third base, making routine plays and not committing any mistakes, almost featuring as a sure out whenever a grounder came his way.
Could Yorke Mantain Roster Spot with Pirates?
The Pirates won't complain about Yorke performing the way he did and it could keep him with the team the rest of the season.
Yorke has given the Pirates a right-handed bat that can take on left-handed pitchers and also a reliable defender at third base and elsewhere around the bases.
The Pirates have struggled this season against left-handed pitching, 12-27 when a southpaw starts and 4-10 following the All-Star break.
Yorke had all four of his hits come off of left-handed pitching and his double knocked Tigers' left-handed starting pitcher Framber Valdez out of the game, after he had given up just one run over the first five innings.
The Pirates have also had Nick Gonzales at third base for most of the season, but he's struggled massively there in the new role, with -14 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -11 outs above average (OAA), ranking as the worst and second-worst marks of any third baseman in MLB this season, respectively.
Gonzales is still one of the Pirates' best hitters, with his .308 batting average ranked fifth-best in MLB this year, so it's hard for them to take him out of the lineup.
Yorke gives the Pirates someone more defensively sound at third base, not quite a Gold Glove Award winner, but someone they can rely on a bit more to make the plays needed.
It's been a tough year for Yorke, who hit sub-.200 in two stints with the Pirates and missed almost two months with a fractured right middle finger, but this is the time for him to prove he belongs on the major league roster.
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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.