MILWAUKEE — Jared Jones will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton on Wednesday, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington told me on the Pirates Insider Show Sunday. It’s an important step for an important pitcher who’s expected to return in late May or early June. Jones, who’s been on the

MILWAUKEE — There was a sense of opportunity when the Pirates arrived in Milwaukee Friday for a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. They were coming off a frustrating, 6-1 defeat to the Rangers and a series loss in Arlington, Texas. However, the Pirates have played

MILWAUKEE — The Pirates’ victory Friday over the Brewers was defined by Paul Skenes’ dominance and a breakout performance from Konnor Griffin, who smacked the first home run of his MLB career. Loud moments, right? A day later, the strategy was slightly more subtle, the Pirates scoring a half-dozen runs

MILWAUKEE — What else would you do if you saw a bounce house? After Friday’s 6-0 Pirates victory, where Paul Skenes delivered seven shutout innings and allowed just one hit, where Konnor Griffin hit his first MLB home run on his 20th birthday, Skenes had all of us laughing when

MILWAUKEE — The Pirates threw their own draft party on Friday night. With the NFL draft taking over Pittsburgh, the organization’s past three first-round picks took center stage within hours of one another: Paul Skenes (2023) flirting with a perfect game and Konnor Griffin (2024) hitting his first MLB home

MILWAUKEE -- Whether it has involved playing or coaching, former Pirate Jack Wilson has always loved the process. It’s partly why Wilson enjoyed a 12-year big league career, including nine seasons with the Pirates. It’s definitely why he continues to turn double plays at age 48, three times a week

ARLINGTON — Bubba Chandler’s season to this point has been defined by learning lessons and responding appropriately when something doesn’t go his way. The Pirates need the next chapter of that story soon. Chandler was not particularly sharp during Thursday’s 6-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field,

ARLINGTON — It started with the first home run Braxton Ashcraft has allowed this season, on a pitch he surely wanted back. It continued when the Texas Rangers rallied for two runs to tie it in the eighth. A half-inning later, things crescendoed with an incredible home run from Oneil

ARLINGTON, Texas — Andrew McCutchen has obviously been a tremendous baseball player over the years, perhaps a Hall of Famer. He’s also a really good talker, introspective and honest when articulating his thoughts. But facing the Pirates for the first time after a difficult offseason breakup, McCutchen kept things close

ARLINGTON -- When Nellie Hestin finally finished screaming with excitement from her family’s seats along the third-base line Sunday at PNC Park, she figured that was it, her husband and their two kids getting a souvenir baseball and creating a lasting memory for the Franklin Park family. You’ve probably seen

DALLAS — Through the first 22 games, the Pirates have unquestionably been among the better stories in baseball. They’ve hoisted cones and donned a welder’s mask. In its most recent Power Rankings, MLB.com has the Pirates ranked fifth, ahead of every other NL Central club. It’s been a fun start,

DALLAS — Hello, Pirates fans. Welcome to my weekly mailbag. Moved it to Monday due to the schedule. Thank you for understanding. Bunch of great questions, per usual. Let’s get started. Hank Dave Burner Acc (@NotHankDave): What’s the plan with middle relievers? Jason Mackey: This was asked a bunch of

Sunday’s 6-3 victory over the Rays featured an entertaining mix of old and new for the Pirates. It also reinforced what’s becoming an identity of this club: It’s excellent at following ugly losses with something better. While improving to 4-2-1 in series play and punctuating a 4-3 homestand, the Pirates

Between a sellout crowd, Paul Skenes starting on his bobblehead night and the Pirates aiming to build on a quality win Friday, the stage was set. Yet several things combined to create a long, frustrating day at PNC Park. Skenes’ start was cut short by a 2-hour, 27-minute rain delay.

As Nick Yorke and Billy Cook chatted this past Tuesday, the day after the Pirates amassed 16 hits and runs against the Nationals, Ryan O’Hearn couldn’t help but overhear from a few stalls away inside the Pirates clubhouse. Yorke was bemoaning his 0-for-6 night when O’Hearn joked Yorke was probably

Perhaps it was the uniforms — City Connects, arguably the best in Major League Baseball. Or the presence of A.J. Burnett and Doug Drabek or Paul Skenes procuring a bunch of hardware pregame. It could’ve been a beautiful night, the revved-up crowd, fireworks or dreams of what this eventually could

Brandon Lowe started to rip the Band-Aid off during Spring Training. The Pirates second baseman faced his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, and took the extra step of requesting to make the trip to Port Charlotte, Fla. The idea of wearing new colors or seeing longtime friends isn’t entirely

Thursday’s series finale was hardly a problem involving effort or fight. The Pirates were fine in that department. No, their 8-7 loss to the Nationals in 10 innings at PNC Park was ultimately defined by a lack of execution, sloppy play or plays that must improve for the Pirates to

On Tuesday night, Pirates manager Don Kelly’s decision to have Nick Yorke pinch hit for Brandon Lowe did not pan out and was criticized externally. Twenty-four hours later, Kelly having Mason Montgomery open for Carmen Mlodzinski worked to perfection — and served as the primary storyline in the Pirates’ 2-0

The way Bubba Chandler remembers it, the idea started with a random conversation in Altoona at the tail end of the 2023 season. Paul Skenes had made two appearances for the Curve before the Pirates shut him down. Chandler pitched once. With a rare opportunity to decompress, their minds drifted

Brandon Lowe stood at the top step of the Pirates dugout, shaking hands with teammates and cheering on Nick Yorke. It was as professional as a player could possibly be in that situation, further evidence the Pirates made a smart trade by acquiring Lowe this offseason. But the sequence that

By the time the Pirates took ground balls prior to Monday’s series opener against the Nationals, the mood of the team and chatter between players had returned to normal The blown leads and failed attempt at a Chicago sweep squarely in the rearview mirror, Brandon Lowe even chided Spencer Horwitz

Hunter Barco needs to start. The Pirates’ busy bullpen, meanwhile, could use an extra arm. That was manager Don Kelly’s explanation for Monday’s roster move, Pittsburgh optioning Barco to Triple-A Indianapolis and recalling Evan Sisk, a 28-year-old lefty who made his MLB debut last season. Sisk appeared in six games

CHICAGO -- The Pirates have certainly lost games to the Cubs at Wrigley Field before. Painful ones, too. Yet while Sunday’s outcome might’ve looked similar, it felt different for a club with raised expectations. Dropping a 7-6 decision stung, in part because the Pirates led 5-0 and 6-3. But also

CHICAGO -- The same as anyone who watched them win the World Series, Kent Tekulve knows the 1979 Pirates featured plenty of stars, most notably Willie Stargell and Dave Parker. Tekulve was also keenly aware of the role Phil Garner played on the team. “Phil Garner was the heart and