SEPTEMBER 9•POST-GAZETTE.COM
Pirates minor league report: High-A Greensboro begins postseasonDown on the farm is a recurring notebook highlighting the past week of baseball throughout the Pirates minor-league system. Below are the mo...
Michael A. Taylor - Breaks homer droughtTaylor went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Sunday against the Nationals.
ImpactTaylor has started consecutive games with lefties on the mound, though he hasn't been in the lineup against a right-hander since Aug. 25. He did manage to pop his fifth home run of the season and first since July 30 with lefty Patrick Corbin on the mound Sunday.
SEPTEMBER 9•ROTOWIRE
Nick Gonzales - Hitting well since returnGonzales went 2-for-4 with a run scored Sunday against the Nationals.
ImpactGonzales was activated from the injured list Aug. 26 and has started 11 of 13 games since -- all of which have come at second base. He's hit .327 with six RBI and seven runs scored in that span while also striking out at only a 14 percent clip.
SEPTEMBER 9•ROTOWIRE
2024 MLB ROY odds: Merrill, Cowser maintain leads in NL, AL races
Jackson Merrill and Colton Cowser appear to be shoo-ins to win the two Rookie of the Year awards. Do they have any new challengers? Check ou...SEPTEMBER 9
CJ Abrams - Swats 19th homerAbrams went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Pirates.
ImpactThe shortstop led off the game by taking Jared Jones deep, but it was the last lead the Nationals would hold on the afternoon in a 7-3 loss. The homer was the 19th of the year for Abrams, a new career high, and he's tied the career-high 64 RBI he collected last year. The 23-year-old's overall offensive profile hasn't taken the step forward expected of him in 2024, however -- his .238/.307/.422 slash line is nearly identical to his .245/.300/.412 performance from 2023, and Abrams has fallen from 47 steals in 51 attempts to 28 in 40.
SEPTEMBER 9•ROTOWIRE
Trevor Williams - Set for rehab start TuesdayWilliams (elbow) will make a rehab start for Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday and remains confident he'll pitch again for the Nationals before the end of the season, Mark Zuckerman o...
ImpactThe right-hander is expected to throw about four innings and build up to 65-70 pitches. Nats manager Dave Martinez hinted that Williams might need to make a second rehab start before being activated from the IL, with 80 pitches as the target, but that still leaves time for the 32-year-old to rejoin the big-league rotation. Williams landed on the IL after a May 30 start against Atlanta due to a right flexor strain, but the pending free agent was having an outstanding campaign to that point, posting a 5-0 record in 11 starts with a 2.22 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 47:16 K:BB through 56.2 innings. He could return to the Washington rotation for a road series against the Cubs that runs Sept. 19-22.
SEPTEMBER 9•ROTOWIRE
Billy McKinney - Sent outright to Triple-AThe Pirates outrighted McKinney to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.
ImpactMcKinney went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment and will stick around in the organization. The veteran outfielder has posted a .526 OPS in 10 games with Pittsburgh this season.
SEPTEMBER 9•ROTOWIRE
