MLB Player News

Tawa started at first base and went 0-for-4 in Saturday's 5-3 win over St. Louis.

Tawa was back at first base after manning center field Friday. He's started five of the last six games at first base -- a result of the team designating Pavin Smith for assignment -- but his versatility could take him elsewhere over the next several weeks. Two outfielders, Tommy Troy (shoulder) and Lourdes Gurriel (thigh), have landed on the injured list within the last few days.

Valdez went 2-for-8 with a two-run home run, a double and three RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians.

Valdez made both of his hits count, as he swatted a two-run home run in the first game and then tallied an RBI double in the latter contest. He continues to turn in impressive performances, as he now has a six-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 8-for-24 with five home runs, 13 RBI and seven runs scored.

Carrigg went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, an RBI, a double and a walk Saturday against the Reds.

Carrigg entered Saturday's game having collected only one hit in his last 15 at-bats, but he turned things around in Colorado's win. Despite the slow stretch, he's carried the impressive start to his MLB career into July, tallying 12 RBI and 13 runs scored across 14 games. He's also hitting .325 in that span.

Boyd (6-1) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over six innings in a 6-2 victory over the Twins. He struck out four.

The veteran southpaw won his fourth straight start and picked up his sixth straight winning decision since he took the loss Opening Day against the Nationals. Since returning from knee and shoulder issues in late June, Boyd has produced a 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over five outings and 28 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Pittsburgh.

Moniak went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored Saturday against the Reds.

Moniak delivered separate RBI singles in the second and third innings to account for his production. He has been particularly reliant on Coors Field since coming off the injured list June 22, with nine of his 12 RBI, eight of his 10 runs scored and all three of his home runs coming in Colorado. Even with that caveat, Moniak is having a very strong year, delivering 15 home runs with 40 RBI while maintaining a .276 average across 235 plate appearances.

Soto blew his fifth save of the season in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing a hit and a walk in a scoreless two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two.

With the Pirates trying to protect a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning, Soto was brought in to replace Brandon Eisert with one out and two men on. Instead of getting the job done, Soto let both inherited runners score on a wild pitch and a single. It's his third blown save since the beginning of June against five successful conversions, a stretch in which he's coughed up an 8.31 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB over 13 innings and put his spot as Pittsburgh's closer in significant jeopardy.

Curtis didn't factor into the decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings of relief. He struck out four.

The Pirates elected to use Mason Montgomery as an opener for the nightcap before handing the ball to Curtis as the bulk reliever for his big-league debut, and the 24-year-old right-hander turned in an impressive performance. Curtis tossed 42 of 68 pitches for strikes and left the mound with Pittsburgh ahead 3-0, only to see the bullpen melt down late and cost him the win. He's struggled somewhat in the minors this season, managing a 4.96 ERA across 74.1 innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, but his 97:40 K:BB highlights his potential if he can sort out his control issues. Now that he's on the 40-man roster and has shown he can get big-league hitters out, he could be on the short list to join the rotation if Pittsburgh has a vacancy.

Littell (7-7) took the loss against the Athletics on Saturday, allowing eight runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out four batters over six innings.

Littell's outing began ominously when Jacob Wilson led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. That was one of five runs given up by the righty hurler in the first frame, so he probably deserves some kudos for ultimately making it through six innings. Nonetheless, Littell tied a season-worst mark with the eight runs he allowed, pushing his ERA up to an ugly 5.34 on the campaign. He had been showing some improvement with a 2.84 ERA and 16:3 K:BB across his final four starts before the All-Star break, but he's been very streaky this year -- in fact, the other three times he gave up eight runs came in consecutive outings in April.

Jones (2-1) picked up the win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out nine.

The right-hander set a season high in strikeouts in his ninth start since returning from Tommy John surgery in late May, tossing 48 of 74 pitches for strikes. Jones' workload is still being monitored by the Pirates -- he's topped 80 pitches just once so far in 2026 -- and he's lasted five frames only three times, but he's delivered a 4.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 48:12 K:BB over 40 innings. Jones will look to build on this result in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Cubs.

Webb took a no-decision after tossing 6.2 innings against Seattle on Saturday, giving up three runs on two hits and one walk while striking out five batters.

Webb was fantastic for six frames, allowing only two baserunners (on a single and a hit-by-pitch). However, the Mariners finally got to him in the seventh, capitalizing on another hit batsman and a walk when Cole Young tied the game with a three-run homer. While Webb still finished with a quality start, that long ball really soured his outing and kept him from notching his first win of July. The veteran right-hander is tentatively scheduled to make his next start at home against the Angels.