Pirates' Seth Hernandez: Fully recovered from oblique strain
Rotowire
Hernandez (oblique) said Thursday that he feels 100 percent healthy and has since the first or second week of September, Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com reports.
Hernandez suffered a left oblique strain at High-A Greensboro in late July and was eventually shut down for the season. However, he will not be under any restrictions when it comes to his offseason throwing program. Hernandez cemented himself as one of the game's top pitching prospects in 2026, posting a 2.43 ERA and 118:31 K:BB over 74 innings between Greensboro and Single-A Bradenton. The 20-year-old also noted Thursday that his goal is to reach the majors in 2027, though that looks like a long shot.
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Pirates' Seth Hernandez: Could be done for season
Rotowire
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Hernandez is expected to be out for 6-to-8 weeks while recovering from a left oblique strain, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Given the recovery timeline laid out by Tomczyk, Hernandez's 2026 campaign is most likely over, as High-A Greensboro will wrap up its season Sept. 6. After the 20-year-old right-hander totaled 74 innings between his 18 starts at High-A and Single-A Bradenton, he may have been a shutdown candidate at some point in August if the injury hadn't intervened. The oblique strain shouldn't dramatically affect Hernandez's offseason training program nor his standing as one of the top pitching prospects in the minors heading into 2027. Hernandez overwhelmed Florida State League and South Atlantic League hitters with his power arsenal during his first season in the pro ranks, racking up 118 strikeouts while pitching to a 2.43 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.
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Pirates' Seth Hernandez: Lands on IL at High-A
Rotowire
High-A Greensboro placed Hernandez on its 7-day injured list Saturday due a left oblique discomfort, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
Hernandez's most recent appearance with Greensboro came Friday, when he logged three shutout innings with five strikeouts. The Pirates haven't provided an update on the severity of the young right-hander's injury, making it difficult to project whether he'll pitch again in 2026. Hernandez has put together a dominant first season in the professional ranks, collecting a 2.43 ERA and 118:31 K:BB over 74 innings between Greensboro and Single-A Bradenton.
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Pirates' Seth Hernandez: Bumped up to High-A
Rotowire
The Pirates promoted Hernandez from Single-A Bradenton to High-A Greensboro on Sunday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Hernandez will make the leap to the South Atlantic League after posting a 0.96 ERA and 0.71 WHIP with 50 strikeouts over 28 innings in six starts with Bradenton to open the season. The 19-year-old will look to continue his blazing-hot start to the 2026 campaign while taking on some tougher competition moving forward.
