One name you know. The other you probably do not. Either way, the Pirates will have a couple of new pitchers when they start a series on Monday against the Rockies at PNC Park.
Multiple sources confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday night that the Pirates are promoting Roansy Contreras and Yerry De Los Santos from Class AAA Indianapolis.
Contreras was with the big club earlier this season and had a 3.52 ERA in 7 2/3 innings, striking out 10. In five minor league starts this season, Contreras had a 2.66 ERA with 11 walks and 24 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings.
“He’s a smart guy,” Indians manager Miguel Perez said of Contreras earlier this month. “He always wants to get better. The way he takes care of business, the way he shows up to the ballpark every day, asking questions and watching videos, that’s him.
“We’re providing everything that he needs, but we don’t have to force him to do anything. He’s been great with that aspect, which makes it easy for us because he wants to be special. He knows. He takes that seriously. I’m very happy and very pleased with the way he’s doing things.”
There probably won’t be much guesswork in how the Pirates plan to use Contreras. The most logical move would be for him to start, and they do not yet have a starter announced for Tuesday’s game. That would also be five days from when Contreras last pitched (May 19).
The Pirates originally sent Contreras to the minors so he could be stretched out as a starter. In his past two outings he’s thrown 83 and 84 pitches.
De Los Santos, a hard-throwing righty the Pirates signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2014, has been strictly a reliever and this season has functioned as the closer with Class AAA Indianapolis.
The 24-year-old has a 1.72 ERA across 12 appearances (15 2/3 innings), with just two walks, 20 strikeouts and a 0.638 WHIP.
“I’ve been attacking hitters,” De Los Santos said earlier this month. “I’ve been giving it everything I have, and my fastball has been working for me.”
De Los Santos has worked 175 1/3 minor league innings and has a 2.67 ERA. He's walked just 49 and struck out 174, an indication of his desire to go right after hitters.
"That’s good for me," De Los Santos said. "Short and quick. I try to be quick."
Contreras, of course, is already on the 40-man roster, while they’ll need to clear a spot for De Los Santos.
Gorski promoted
A Pirates prospect soon to garner a bunch more hype is on his way to Class AA Altoona, as a source confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday night that outfielder Matt Gorski will move from High-A Greensboro to join the Curve.
Although Gorski — a 24-year-old the Pirates selected in the second round in 2019 out of Indiana University — is not ranked among Pittsburgh’s top 30, he’s absolutely someone with whom fans should become familiar.
The promotion comes after Gorski hit three home runs on Sunday, including a walkoff winner for the Grasshoppers. Not only that, the monster day gave Gorski nine home runs in the past seven days and 12 in 18 games this month.
Nobody in Minor League Baseball has more than Gorski's 17 home runs. He has already matched his total from a season ago while also hitting .294 with a 1.131 OPS and 37 RBIs in 126 at-bats over 36 games.
In Altoona, Gorski will join a Curve group that has mashed 17 homers in the last eight games and set a single-game franchise record on Sunday by scoring 19 runs.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: May 23, 2022, 1:14 a.m.
Updated: May 23, 2022, 2:00 p.m.