Weekly Report: Bucs Take Two Series, Endy Under The Knife, Konnor Almost Ready To Return, Game-Bucco-Minors-MLB Notes

Slowly segueing into football…

Pirates stuff:

• C Endy Rodriguez underwent surgery on the labrum around his left hip. He’s expected to resume baseball activities within 7-9 months. 
• The Bucs recalled RHP Noah Murdock from Indy and RHP Khristian Curtis was optioned back to AAA. A couple of days later, they recalled LHP Evan Sisk and optioned Murdock back to Indianapolis. 
• SS Konnor Griffin started his rehab with Altoona yesterday. He’s eligible to return to action on Friday.

Konnor Griffin – 2026 Topps Finest Phenoms

• Brandon Lowe is looking to become the first Pirate since Adam LaRoche in 2007 to lead the team in both home runs and RBI in his first season with the team. Other Pirates to equal that muscle-bat feat since 1946 are Reggie Sanders (2003), Brian Giles (1999), Kevin Young (1997) and Ralph Kiner (1946).
• MLB.com ranked its Top 10 Free Agents this off-season. Lowe is ranked #6, behind Jazz Chisholm at 2B. An ex-Buc, RHP Clay Holmes, is ranked next at #7.
• This year’s Pirates Arizona Fall League team will be the Glendale Desert Dogs. Other clubs providing players to Glendale will be the Atlanta Braves, LA Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
• The Sporting News series on Baseball’s Greatest Players continued with Unsung Heroes; ol’ Bucco SS Arky Vaughan made the team.
• Greensboro RHP Draven Zeigler was the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week after working five no-hit shutout frames with five K last week.
• Jim Negrych returned to Pitt baseball as an assistant coach; he had been a scout for the Cards. IF Jim was a Pitt All-America (2005-06) who was drafted by the Pirates and played in several MLB systems plus in China in his 10-year pro career, never making the show but twice earning AAA All-Star honors.

Game Stuff:

• There were plenty of runners in San Diego’s Petco Park, but it turned into a 12-inning duel that the Buccos pulled out 3-2 when Nick Gonzales singled home the ghost runner, Jared Triolo. Braxton Ashcraft & Robbie Ray were the starters; the win eventually went to Kirby Yates, nailed down by Yohan Ramirez with three K’s in the 12th.

Paul Skenes – 2026 Topps All-Stars Heritage

• Tuesday was a classic duel, with Paul Skenes breaking out his cape once again and San Diego’s Michael King tossing like royalty. It was 0-0 with two gone in the ninth and Mason Miller on the hill for the Padres when Oneil Cruz  made the only splash of the night by homering with two gone, the first long ball Miller has given up in a year. The revamped pen used some old hands to finish with Gregory Soto the winner and Mason Montgomery getting the save.
• Bubba Chandler was strong, but bad D and worse bats wasted the sweep effort as the Bucs were bopped 3-0. They went 1-for-13 w/RISP and were shutout for a league-leading 15th time.
• After a day off, the Bucs went to Saint Louis and got bopped 4-1. They still can’t hit lefties and made three errors; post-ASG hasn’t been kind. It was a big day for the Cards’ Quinn Matthews, though – it was the rookie’s first MLB victory.
• Brandon Lowe started it off with a homer and Rafael Flores added a three-run bomb while bullpen start regulars Lake Baschar & Carm Mlodzinski were strong, giving up two hits and one earned run in 5-2/3 IP. And despite three more errors – oy vey, that left side! – the Bucs evened the set with a 6-2 win.

Braxton Ashcraft – 2026 Pirates

• Brax only gave the Bucs five frames and the bullpen was kinda meh, but homers by Esmerlyn Valdez & Jared Triolo and a lights-out ninth by Mason Montgomery gave the Pirates the series-winner, 5-4.
• The Pirates are off Monday, then host three-game sets v San Francisco & the LA Angels at PNC.

MLB Stuff: 

• RHP Trevor Williams, who started his MLB career in Pittsburgh in 2016-thru-2020, was DFA’ed by the Nats.
• LHP Caleb Ferguson, who the Pirates swapped at the ’25 deadline, was DFA’ed by the Cards, the third team he’s played for since being traded.
• Brent Strom, who was the Bucs pitching consultant last year, has taken the same role with Houston.