Hayes (side) will start at third base and bat leadoff in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.
Hayes has been held out of action since March 5 due to left side tightness, but after finally resuming full baseball activities Thursday, he's now been cleared to return to the starting lineup. The 28-year-old infielder has struggled to get going this spring, posting a .583 OPS with an RBI and a run scored through seven games.
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Pirates' Paul Skenes: Confirmed as Opening Day starter
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Manager Derek Shelton informed Skenes on Saturday that he will start Opening Day against the Marlins.
After turning in a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 23 starts last season en route to being named the NL Rookie of the Year, it hardly comes as a surprise that Skenes will take the hill for Pittsburgh's first regular-season game. The 22-year-old star hasn't quite matched those numbers this spring (3.60 ERA, 1.70 WHIP), though his 12 strikeouts in 10 innings is evidence he's primed for another fantastic season. He'll have the advantage of pitching against a Marlins lineup that finished with the second-worst OPS in the NL last season (.678) and projects to remain weak in '25.
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Pirates' Endy Rodriguez: Likely odd man out
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Rodriguez will likely begin the season with Triple-A Indianapolis because the Pirates want him to get everyday at-bats, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez is returning from a lost 2024 season caused by an elbow injury. He's performed well enough to secure a roster spot by hitting .381 with three extra-base hits across 21 at-bats in Grapefruit League games, but Joey Bart has earned the top spot on the depth chart after producing well last year. The Pirates have experimented with Rodriguez at different positions in the past, and he may need to regain that versatility or have Henry Davis struggle in order to find his way to the majors early in the campaign.
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Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Dealing with bone bruise in foot
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Johnson was removed from the Pirates' Spring Breakout game roster due to a bone bruise in his left foot, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
It's not clear how long the injury might keep Johnson sidelined. The 20-year-old finished last season at Double-A Altoona and is likely headed back there for the start of the 2025 campaign.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Implodes against Twins
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Bednar allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks across one-third of an inning during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
This marked Bednar's fifth appearance of the spring, and he had maintained a 5:1 K:BB while allowing only one earned run across his first four innings. However, Thursday's outing was particularly concerning in light of Bednar's struggles in 2024, when he posted a 5.77 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while being removed from the closer role to end the year. The departure of Aroldis Chapman this offseason likely gives Bednar some leeway for save chances to begin the campaign, but he'll need to perform to maintain the role.
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Pirates' Tommy Pham: Back in action Thursday
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Pham (hip) will start in left field and bat third in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Twins.
Pham was removed from Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to left hip tightness, but he's ready to go following a few days of rest. The veteran outfielder is projected to open the season as the Pirates' left fielder and leadoff hitter against left-handed pitching, at minimum.
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Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes: Resumes full baseball activities
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Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Thursday that Hayes (side) has resumed full baseball activities, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tomczyk added that Hayes should be able to return to games within the next few days. Hayes hasn't participated in Grapefruit League play in more than a week due to left side tightness, but it sounds like he's getting over the hump with the injury.
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Pirates' Bailey Falter: No longer pitching Thursday
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Falter did not recover well from his catch session Wednesday and is no longer scheduled to pitch in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said the move to scratch Falter was made out of an "abundance of precaution," adding that Falter is dealing with "general body soreness" and will instead play catch again Thursday before the team determines the next steps. Falter is expected to have a spot in the Pittsburgh rotation to begin the season, but this issue could throw a wrench into those plans if it delays the lefty longer than expected, with Opening Day just two weeks away.
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Pirates' Jack Suwinski: Could be fourth outfielder
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Suwinski is projected to make the Opening Day roster as a reserve outfielder by Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.
Suwinski has had 25 plate appearances in spring training and has tallied four extra-base hits. As has been the case since making his MLB debut in 2022, Suwinski has also struggled to make consistent contact as he's racked up a 28 percent strikeout rate. The Pirates' decision for a final bench spot appears to come down to Suwinski, Billy Cook and Nick Yorke.
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Pirates' Henry Davis: Chance to be backup catcher
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Davis is projected to make the Opening Day roster by Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.
Davis has had impressive moments in spring training, with the team particularly happy that he's hit the ball to all areas of the field. He has a .238 ISO across 23 plate appearances to show for it, though he's also struck out at a 26.1 percent clip. Joey Bart will begin the season as the starter behind the plate, but Davis would potentially start a few times per week if he cracks the roster.
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Pirates' Nick Gonzales: Locked into second base job
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Gonzales is expected to serve as the Pirates' primary second baseman in 2025, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Gonzales got his first prolonged look in the majors in 2024 and held his own by posting a 94 wRC+ and .709 OPS. That performance combined with his prospect pedigree sets him up as a key contributor for the 2025 season, with the majority of his playing time likely coming at second base. Across 28 plate appearances this spring, Gonzales has struck out only 14.3 percent of the time, though that's also come with just two extra-base hits.
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Pirates' Bailey Falter: Should have rotation spot
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Falter is projected to begin the season in the Pirates' rotation, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Falter's role was precarious after Andrew Heaney was signed, though Bubba Chandler was since reassigned to Triple-A and Johan Oviedo (lat) placed on the 60-day injured list. That should keep Falter in the rotation to begin the campaign. In two spring starts, he has allowed two earned runs across 4.2 innings with a 7:3 K:BB.
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Pirates' Tsung-Che Cheng: Sent to Triple-A
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The Pirates optioned Cheng to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old had a strong showing in big-league camp with a 1.178 OPS in 12 spring games, but he'll begin the campaign at the Triple-A level. Cheng received a promotion to Indianapolis late last season but spent most of the year at Double-A Altoona, where he had a .218/.320/.341 slash line in 126 contests.
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Pirates' Enmanuel Valdez: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Pirates optioned Valdez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Valdez joined the Pirates over the offseason in a trade with Boston, but his tenure with the organization will officially begin in the minors. The 26-year-old owns a .686 OPS across 371 career plate appearances, though his ability to play in both the infield and outfield could help his chances at returning to Pittsburgh over the course of the season.
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Pirates' Liover Peguero: Among six optioned Tuesday
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The Pirates optioned Peguero to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Peguero had been among the field battling for a spot on the Pirates' bench to begin the regular season, but going 2-for-15 with a home run in 10 games won't be enough to crack the Opening Day roster. Until the 24-year-old's bat improves, he's likely destined to spend most of his time in Triple-A, though he may be promoted throughout the season to provide Pittsburgh with some fresh legs off the bench.
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Pirates' Chase Shugart: Sent to Triple-A
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The Pirates optioned Shugart to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Shugart made five appearances during spring training. He was off to a good start with three consecutive scoreless innings before imploding for five runs in just one-third of an inning against the Pirates back on March 2. The 28-year-old was able to earn a promotion to the big leagues at the end of the 2024 season for Boston, notching a 4.15 ERA over 8.2 innings. The right-hander will have to claw his way back from Triple-A in 2025.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Optioned to Indy
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The Pirates optioned Burrows to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Burrows didn't see much success during his time in the Grapefruit League, giving up four earned runs in just five innings while striking out three batters and walking four. That being said, the 25-year-old held his own during his MLB debut last season, so the Pirates may be willing to promote him again in 2025 for spot starts or perhaps a more permanent spot if there are injuries.
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Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft: Removed from big-league camp
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The Pirates optioned Ashcraft to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Ashcraft made two appearances for the Pirates this spring, giving up two earned runs on five hits while striking out four batters across 3.2 innings. He'll ultimately miss out on Pittsburgh's Opening Day rotation, but if the 25-year-old righty can put up a number anything close to the 0.44 ERA he logged over 20.1 frames in Indianapolis last year, he could be on track to debut sometime in 2025.
