The Pittsburgh Pirates have slipped into an offensive slump after the offense carried them through a six-game winning streak. Since then, they’ve lost four straight games, three of which via shutout.
On Tuesday, the Pirates reportedly called up outfielder Jack Suwinski, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington recently mentioned adding a left-handed bat. While Suwinski comes from within the organization, the team might be hoping he can provide offense from the left side.
Suwinski has shown flashes, but has yet to fully conquer major league pitching. His batted ball data jumped off the charts in 2023. His barrel rate ranked in the 94th percentile.
While the batted ball data is encouraging, getting the ball in play has been a problem. Suwinski doesn’t chase often, but his contact skills leave something to be desired. His career strikeout rate is 31.2%, well above the league average.
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He’s also struggled against left-handed pitching throughout his career. He’ll likely play in a platoon role against righties.
The lefty has been up and down between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis. In 18 games, he’s hit .119 without a home run. He still hasn’t kicked his strikeout issue, but he has walked frequently.
It’s unclear what the corresponding move is at this time. The Pirates play the Kansas City Royals at 7:40 pm on Tuesday.
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Featured image via Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports