Pirates first baseman Colin Moran is going on the 10-day injured list after suffering a small fracture in his left wrist/hand area, manager Derek Shelton told reporters (including Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). Outfielder Jared Oliva has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to take his spot on the active roster.
Moran suffered the injury when he was struck by a Kyle Freeland pitch on Monday. Sheldon didn’t provide any sort of timetable on his return, although even a minor fracture seems to have the potential to be rather bothersome. This will be Moran’s second IL stint of the season, as he also missed a little less than a month earlier this year with a left groin injury.
It’s particularly notable with the trade deadline less than a month away. The rebuilding Pirates are certain to listen to offers on veteran players, and a healthy Moran could draw some interest from contenders. The 28-year-old has hit a solid .280/.345/.414 with four homers across 174 plate appearances this season.
It’s not clear whether Moran will be able to make it onto the field before July 30, or whether he’ll immediately settle back in at the plate. Hand injuries can sometimes linger, particularly impacting a hitter’s power upside. Players on the IL can still be traded (the Marlins traded injured outfielder Corey Dickerson earlier this week, in fact), but there’s no urgency for the Pirates to move Moran if his value is at a low point. He’s on an affordable $2.8MM deal this season and controllable via arbitration through 2023.
That sucks about Moran, but I’m happy to see Oliva get a shot. Aside from Bryan Reynolds, the Pirates outfield has been put together with super glue and duct tape. Oliva may not be anything more than a 4th outfielder long term, but as long as he can have a wRC+ around 90 while showing some decent defense, he’ll be more than useable.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
I laugh every single time I read your T&P posts. It’s like a bad David Letterman joke but because you keep posting it, it makes it funny.
Oliva ruptured an oblique in ST. He can’t be 100% yet. I hope he does well but I’m not putting much stock in this year for him.
Another fracture? Are these type of injures up this year too?
Possibly, maybe because pitchers have less control due to not having sticky stuff more pitches are riding inside and hitting more guys on the wrist. It’s more likely to be coincidental but it’s fun to think about.
There do seem to be a lot of breaks because of an errant pitch. I don’t have the numbers but just how it feels
Moran out will help the tank. Pirates aren’t terrible when healthy. At full health they won a few vs SD STL. Hayes isn’t hot, if Frazier gets traded, look out Arizona. Oliva could have used more time at AAA. Being that the 1b is hurt and Craig has shown he can hit AAA pitching I hope they make some room in 40 man to take another look at him.
Yeah they are and they’ll trade Rodriguez and Frazier in the next month too.
Just going to be hard to top the Orioles and Dbacks for the Number 1 pick in 2022.
Didn’t he get hurt around the deadline last year as well?
Enos Slaughter weeps
High Time to start penalizing and suspending pitchers (and their teams) for the same length of time that a player who is injured by a pitched ball is unable to perform at the major league level. What is this – THIRD on in a week’s time.
These types of injuries need to be STOPPED !!
Would you also be for suspending the batter when a pitcher is hit with a comebacker?
What about Dennis Martinez hitting Kirby Puckett? He played like 3 years after hitting Kirby.
MLB can’t just make a rule and pitch control will improve. Plus, making that rule would undoubtedly affect how pitchers attack hitters and probably make create a nightmare for enforcement. If it’s unintentional they get a suspension equaling a DL stint, if it’s intentional then what happens? Then intentionally hitting someone but not injuring them brings a suspension less than an unintentional hbp injuring a player.
What about playoffs? If I were a smart manager and that rule was in place, I’d pinch hit some nobody against a teams #1. Have him lean into one and act hurt like in soccer then put that nobody on the DL and get my team better odds of advancing.
Honest question for Pirates fans, do you think Colin Moran will be with the Pirates until FA? I think he has 2 more years of arbitration. His bat is average and his defense is just about average at first (bad at third). Maybe they could trade him but I feel like his arbitration raises will price him out of a job.
I know Mason Martin is in the wings and he’s been working on defense and conditioning to improve at first, while having a more suitable bat for the position (especially if he cuts down on the Ks)
Moran is useful as a bench bat more than a starter. Certainly for a contender. I doubt he would’ve been dealt this summer even if he had stayed healthy. I imagine he’ll be DFA’d or dealt for a lottery pick long before he’s FA eligible.
That’s what I was thinking. He’s the type of guy that you would pay his current salary (around $2 mil) to be a bench bat, but anything more seems like an overpay. His lack of positional flexibility makes his status as bench bat less appealing even at such a low salary and I can’t see him developing as a corner outfielder.
I didn’t think he’d be dealt this summer unless something entirely unexpected happened. I was thinking maybe the offseason before his final arbitration year if at all.
I know they aren’t comps skill set wise, but Matt Adams bouncing around as basically an injury replacement free agent seems like Moran’s future imo.
His defense at 1B could be above average especially turning DPs. At 4 and 6M that’s not bad.
Martin likely doesn’t see MLB til sometime next season at the earliest but since Moran isn’t eligible for free agency until 2024 i sort of doubt the Pirates keep him beyond next season if Martin is ready to assume the starting job in 2023
Should’ve gotten rid of Ka’ai Tom, IL’d Moran and brought up Oliva and Craig.
A .167 average with no power gets you a call up? Also 0 for last 14 ABs. Alford batting close to .300 and 6 HRS. and Bettencourt who has been playing mostly 1B is batting .280 plus 4 HRs. get passed over.
I know they desire No.1 pick but they don’t have to make it so obvious. At least try to field a competitive team not just for Pirate fans but for also other fans in the league who are buying tickets.
I read that Alfords K rate is terrible, the same issue that he had when he was up earlier. They want him to work on it. Oliva was bad his last time up but all he has to be is bad again as Tom has been atrocious…..except for breaking up the no no.
I heard shelton presser saying it was easiest move or some BS, No wonder this guy drinks. Oliva stinks, Tom isn’t a major leaguer. Alford was terrible in April. It sounds like they want him in AAA another year (off the 40 man currently).
Moran wouldn’t get dealt anyways. No one wants a mediocre corner infielder who cant hit more than a single.
Serious question for Buck fans. I try to drop in and watch them on mlbtv on occasion, and I have to admit they seem to play pretty hard for Shelton. I mean, obviously, Hayes is a load, and Frazier/Reynolds are pretty good, but beyond them, it’s like they try to stay in every game and always play heads up. I think that’s gotta be Shelton.
Now if you can rid rid of those broadcasters that call every game like they’re calling a state funeral…..
The lineup is awful aside from 3 guys and Moran who’s a singles hitter at a power position. Shelton has proven to be a good cheerleader so far IMO steering a lost cause from day 1. Not sure if he would be able to manage a team that actually has talent, hopefully we find out.
Moran makes sense for an AL team.
i agree shelton is a clint hurdle clone.. they need to hire an experienced manager not an older guy. but a younger EXPERIENCED guy who can relate to younger players in a rebuild process
Isn’t there a Laroche we can get out there?