The Pirates outrighted Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Indianapolis after the 27-year-old cleared waivers last week, pushing him off the 40-man roster just days after the club called up Konnor Griffin.
Valdez, who was designated for assignment when Griffin arrived, will stay at Indianapolis and try to regain his timing at the plate after a season that has already included surgery on his left shoulder.
The move closes another short chapter in Pittsburgh for a player the club acquired from Boston during the 2024-25 offseason in a DFA trade that sent minor league pitcher Joe Vogatsky the other way. Valdez spent about a month as the Pirates’ primary first baseman while Spencer Horwitz worked back from wrist surgery, then hit.209/.294/.363 in 31 games before a dislocated left shoulder ended his season and required surgery.
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The Pirates have since reshaped the infield around other pieces. Horwitz has taken over as the primary first baseman, Brandon Lowe was brought in to handle second base and Griffin is now up at shortstop. Third base remains unsettled because Jared Triolo is out with a knee injury, leaving the club to keep sorting out a mix that had already pushed Valdez down the depth chart behind Nick Yorke and Nick Gonzales.
That left Valdez with little room to work with. The left-handed hitter owns a.230/.288/.392 line in a little less than 500 major league plate appearances, and his brief return to Triple-A did not produce an immediate rebound: he went 0-for-10 with five strikeouts in four games. He does not have the service time or prior career outright needed to elect free agency, so he will remain in Indianapolis and keep trying to shake off the rust offensively.
The Pirates would have to add Valdez back to the 40-man roster if they want to keep him out of minor league free agency at the end of the season, but for now his path is straightforward. He needs to hit, and he needs to do it quickly, because the infield picture in Pittsburgh has already moved on without him.
