Blogs

Contrary to a report by Sports Illustrated, Major League Baseball has not yet ruled on its investigation into the age of Dominican prospect Miguel Sano. The Pirates and other teams were informed Friday by MLB that the query will not be completed until at least the middle of next week. The Pirates are the only [...]

Class A Lynchburg shortstop Chase d’Arnaud will have his hand in a cast for four weeks and miss the rest of the season due to sprained left thumb ligaments. He was injured Wednesday while trying to make a diving stop. A fourth-round pick in 2008, d’Arnaud hit .279 with two homers and 15 RBI in [...]

The Pirates will talk with Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson about possible contract extensions — but not for long. “This is something that needs to be resolved quickly, one way or the other,” general manager Neal Huntington said this afternoon. “If there isn’t common ground, I think we’ll know pretty quickly. We can’t let it [...]

A lot of the e-mail I received regarding my story from the other day about the Pirates’ attendance this season came from people living out of state. Not sure what to make of that. By the way, Lou DePaoli, the Pirates’ marketing guru, said attendance from outside Allegheny County was solid this season, and perhaps [...]

PHILADELPHIA — Justice was served for Zach Duke, who this morning was named to the NL squad to the All-Star Game. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who will skipper the NL team, chose Duke to replace Giants pitcher Matt Cain, who last night was struck near his right elbow by a line drive. Duke is the [...]

PHILADELPHIA — The Pirates continue to rack up international signings. Today, they came to terms with Australian catcher Dylan Child and Lithuanian right-hander Dovydas Neverauskus. Child, 18, recently was converted from shortstop to catcher. He will train at the MLB academy in Australia. Neverauskus, 16, who agreed to a 2010 contract, will begin playing this [...]

PHILADELPHIA — After a six-game absence due to a sore lower back, second baseman Freddy Sanchez tonight is back in the lineup. “It’s gonna take a little bit to get my legs back underneath me,” Sanchez said. “But, overall, I feel good and I’m anxious to get back out there.” • Outfielder Lastings Milledge (broken [...]

PHILADELPHIA — Catcher Ryan Doumit has completed a faster-than-expected recovery from a broken scaphoid bone in his right wrist and today was activated off the disabled list. Doumit will be in uniform tonight. Lineups for the game against the Phillies have not yet been posted. Doumit was injured April 19 in a game against the [...]

PHILADELPHIA — On a hot, rainy afternoon in late April, I tagged along with Latin American scouting director Rene Gayo to a tryout in the Dominican Republic. Although more than four dozen hopefuls came to the field, Gayo focused on only a handful of prospects. Of those, only one — a 16-year-old infielder named Alen [...]

HOUSTON – Following their 5-0 loss to the Astros on Wednesday afternoon, the Pirates optioned first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce and right-handed reliever Steven Jackson to Triple-A Indianapolis. They recalled left-handed reliever Donnie Veal, who had spent the past month in Indy on a rehab assignment. Another move — most likely an infielder — will be [...]