PITTSBURGH – When Nick Gonzales was inching toward a return from his non-displaced left ankle fracture, he kept himself sane by focusing on the small wins. When he could swing a bat again, that was a little win. When he could run, that was a bigger win. On Tuesday night, Gonzales got the big win. He returned to the Pirates’ lineup in a 3-0 loss to the Astros at PNC Park, going 1-for-3 with an infield single. “It feels great just to be out here again and see the guys,” Gonzales said. “It felt different today coming to the ballpark knowing that I'm actually playing today vs. how it was the past few weeks, where there's no opportunity for me to go in the game. I couldn't even really walk around, so I'm excited to be out in the dugout just laughing with the guys and [helping] the team win.” It has been a challenging start to 2025 for Gonzales. He played through some discomfort with his ankle at the end of Spring Training, but nothing showed up in X-rays. He played on Opening Day on March 27 and homered in the 5-4 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot park, but he moved very gingerly around the bases and was placed on the injured list the next day. |
On May 18 in the second game of Gonzales’ rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis, he was hit in the right hand by a pitch. That didn’t require another trip to the injured list, but it did pause his rehab. “Getting hit kind of stopped me for a week or so from being able to grip the bat, so it kind of was tough,” Gonzales said. “But I still needed to get in there and see some pitchers and see some pitches in live at-bats. I felt like last week was better.” Getting Gonzales back is an obvious boost for Pittsburgh. He provided a .709 OPS last year, and he routinely came through in the clutch, finishing with the second-best win probability added – how much your at-bats impact your team’s chances of winning – on the Pirates behind Bryan Reynolds. After taking strides forward last year, Gonzales was supposed to be a big part of this offense. Tuesday was the first time all year that the Pirates fielded a lineup that looked like their Grapefruit League A-squad. (The one difference was Alexander Canario starting in left field over Tommy Pham, but that has been the norm the past few weeks.) Pittsburgh is next to last in the Major Leagues with 194 runs, so having its full starting nine can only help. “Having his bat back in the lineup, [he’s a] spark plug for us,” manager Don Kelly said. “Not to take anything away from what Adam Frazier did for us as well over this course while Nick was hurt. He was awesome. Great at-bats, was consistent, played tremendous defense – just a real asset to have." |
Gonzales’ return does raise questions about what will happen to Frazier and the rest of the bench. Frazier wasn’t expected to be an everyday player coming into the year, but he has provided solid defense and has contributed with the bat recently, batting .350 over his past 11 games. Frazier is versatile, being able to play around the infield and the outfield corners, though Kelly was noncommittal about how much outfield Frazier will play. Oneil Cruz and Reynolds are firmly entrenched in center and right, and Canario has shown some promise over the past month while getting regular reps. In the infield, Jared Triolo – the 2024 National League Gold Glove Award winner for utility players – is also on the bench, so some of those opportunities will have to be shared. |
Gonzales can also bounce around as needed. Third base isn’t in the mix right now, but half of Gonzales’ reps during his rehab assignment were at shortstop. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has provided stability at that spot, but it’s worth keeping in mind as the Pirates find themselves with a bit of a logjam in the infield. “It's great playing anywhere, playing short, second,” Gonzales said. “Getting on the other side of the bag, using my arm a little bit more and stretching the throw out is good. It's fun. I'm just here wherever they need me.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Cruz stole his 20th base of the season Sunday in San Diego, the second straight year he has stolen at least 20. Which Pirate has the longest streak of consecutive seasons with at least 20 steals? A. Max Carey B. Honus Wagner C. Starling Marte D. Omar Moreno |
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“I get chills thinking about it. Being teammates with him back in 2007, to see his career from when he was a young kid all the way through now. Now he’s tied Roberto Clemente in the record books, it’s unbelievable. Recently, being out in San Diego, the comments he had to the team and what he means to the guys … just not enough words can say what he means to the Pirates.” – Kelly on the impact Andrew McCutchen has had on the organization |
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The Pirates will host their annual Pride Night on Friday against the Phillies. There will be a pregame party on Federal Street and a resource fair on the riverwalk for nonprofit support from local LGBTQIA+ organizations. More information on the night and the giveaways with regular tickets and the special ticket package can be found here. |
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B. Wagner Wagner had 16 consecutive seasons of at least 20 steals from 1900-15, ranging from his age-26 to his age-41 seasons. His best year came in 1907, when he swiped 61 bags. |
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