ATLANTA — It appears the worst-case scenario has been avoided with Brandon Lowe.
Meanwhile, Davis Wendzel has joined the Pirates for their series finale Sunday against the Braves at Truist Park, while Jhostynxon Garcia’s locker was cleaned out, an indication he’ll be optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Lowe left Saturday’s game in the ninth inning after he took a foul ball off the right knee. The Pirates second baseman said he was worried initially because he suffered a fractured right patella (kneecap) when the same thing happened on Sept. 21, 2023.
But a CT scan delivered positive results, Lowe said, and he's relieved he'll only have to navigate some soreness over the next few days.
Lowe avoiding a serious injury is obviously huge news for the Pirates. In his first season with the Pirates, Lowe is hitting .249 with an .848 OPS. He leads all MLB second basemen in home runs (15) and RBIs (41) and ranks second behind Milwaukee’s Brice Turang in OPS (.848).
If you were picking All-Stars from the Pirates’ season so far, Lowe would be on a very short list, his impact inside the clubhouse equally as meaningful.
As for Wendzel, he’s been having a solid season at Triple-A, hitting .246 with an .851 OPS in 54 games, with 14 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 34 RBIs and 28 runs scored.
A competitive-balance-round pick of the Rangers (41st overall) in 2019, Wendzel played 24 MLB games for Texas in 2024. He’s appeared at every infield spot throughout his professional career and even saw some time in left and right field in the Minor Leagues this season.
Wendzel isn’t on the 40-man roster, so his promotion will require another move to create a spot.
Garcia has appeared in 13 games with the Pirates this season, hitting .200 with a .472 OPS. With Ryan O’Hearn back from his quad injury, outfield playing time was scarce. Which is likely why the Pirates wanted more infield assurance with Lowe banged up.
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.