PITTSBURGH -- Peruse a Major League clubhouse and you’ll see baseball players enjoying their usual beverages. Whether coffee, protein shakes or good ol'-fashioned H2O, each athlete has their preference to refresh before game time. But orange juice? Leave that to Luke Weaver.

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- At 30 years old, Jake Mangum had not received an opportunity quite like this one. The Mets' 2019 fourth-round pick took five Minor League seasons to make the Majors, debuting for the Rays in 2025. After joining Pittsburgh in an offseason trade from Tampa Bay, Mangum became an

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz was activated off the 60-day injured list ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Tigers at PNC Park. He was not in the starting lineup as Pittsburgh takes on left-handed starter Framber Valdez, and did not play in the 8-5 loss. Cruz has

PITTSBURGH – Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin is progressing in his return from the 60-day injured list. The 20-year-old shortstop is no longer wearing a splint on his left ring finger after a checkup with the team’s hand specialist and orthopedic surgeon, and he’ll head to Bradenton, Fla., when the Pirates

PITTSBURGH -- It’s the dog days of summer. The weather is muggy, bodies are sore and postseason spots are officially up for grabs. The Pirates are holding on for dear life. “You've been riding the bike for this long now,” veteran Brandon Lowe said pregame. “Just hold on to the

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates manager Don Kelly announced after Saturday night’s 4-0 loss to the Red Sox that Paul Skenes' scheduled start for Sunday will be pushed back to Wednesday. Kelly said the move was made to give the 24-year-old extra rest, while pushing the rest of the rotation back with

PITTSBURGH -- Rafael Flores Jr. completed a feat Friday night that had happened just five times by the Pirates in the last 21 seasons. The rookie hit his third home run in three straight at-bats dating back to Thursday's game in Miami. Flores unloaded for a second-inning solo shot Friday

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales exited Friday night’s game in the bottom of the fifth inning after a hit-by-pitch to the helmet. Gonzales was hit on a 94.3 mph four-seam fastball from Red Sox left-handed reliever Jovani Morán. Gonzales is being evaluated and treated for a facial contusion,

PITTSBURGH -- Termarr Johnson, the Pirates' 2022 first-round Draft pick, will miss the rest of 2026 with a torn left ACL and LCL. He’ll undergo surgery next Thursday and be examined in Dallas by Dr. Dan Cooper. Johnson injured the knee while lunging for first base in the top of

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Dylan Cease is known for his work on the mound, having started the All-Star Game for the American League and being among the leaders in the AL Cy Young race. But for one lucky fan, they’ll know Cease from his artwork. As part of the Sportsnet Jays Care Broadcast Auction,

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- We’re over a week into August, and the reigning National League Cy Young winner has yet to find a groove. Paul Skenes has a 3.96 ERA in 24 starts this season, more than double his ERA from his first two Major League seasons. With the Pirates falling further

Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu helped Boston stay red-hot with a 1.584 OPS and three homers this past week. Colorado’s Jake McCarthy recorded a hit in all six games while moving his 2026 batting average above the .300 mark. On Monday, they were named the AL and NL Players of

PITTSBURGH -- Mason Montgomery remembers being in Colorado when pitching coach Billy Murphy came to him with an idea. The left-hander already had a nasty arsenal involving a 100 mph four-seamer, a slider, a curveball and a changeup. But Murphy felt a two-seam fastball could make him even more dangerous.

PITTSBURGH -- Playing 17 games in 17 days is no easy feat. Especially for a Pirates team riddled with injuries and fighting for their postseason lives. The Pirates made it to the finish line, earning a day off Monday. Though after Sunday’s 11-1 loss to the Mets to finish the

PITTSBURGH -- Baseball fans in 2026 show off their fandom in myriad ways. To support newcomer Ronny Simon, Pirates fanatics on X changed their profile photos to the 26-year-old’s headshot. Simon’s headshot is likely to see more social-media circulation after his efforts on Saturday at PNC Park. The right fielder's

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski took the mound Friday night for his first start since May 25. This change came after shuffling from the rotation to the bullpen and now back to the rotation following the season-ending injury to Mitch Keller. Mlodzinski allowed five runs in three innings as

PITTSBURGH -- Friday marked exactly two months since Oneil Cruz last played in a baseball game, pinch-running on June 7 at Atlanta. After an MRI days later revealed non-displaced fractures of the fourth and fifth metacarpals in his left hand, Cruz was sidelined on the injured list. The Pirates’ star

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Sammy Stafura was on the team bus from Greensboro to Rome on Monday afternoon when he saw a tweet saying his favorite team, the Mets, were trading reliever Luke Weaver. Then Stafura saw that Weaver was sent to the Pirates, his organization. “I was like, 'Oh wow. I feel like

NEW YORK -- The Pirates’ fraught bullpen situation received another major upgrade on Monday, when Pittsburgh acquired right-handed reliever Luke Weaver and cash considerations from the Mets for shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura. Of the Mets’ many obvious trade candidates, Weaver ranked among the most valuable because unlike their impending free

CINCINNATI -- As the rain poured down on Great American Ball Park, a simple conversation on a possible delay turned into Pirates manager Don Kelly’s MLB-leading fifth ejection of the season in a 10-2 loss to the Reds on Sunday afternoon. The ejection occurred in the fourth inning with Pittsburgh

CINCINNATI -- Camilo Doval's ERA at Yankee Stadium this season is 7.08. Outside of the Bronx, his ERA is 2.21. The intriguing splits were put to the test on Sunday afternoon as Doval made his Pirates debut in the eighth inning against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. In