The Pittsburgh Pirates placed infielder Erik Gonzalez (oblique) on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a right oblique strain and recalled infielder Wilmer Difo from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. The Bucs also transferred right-hander Trevor Cahill (calf) to the 60-day injured list. Gonzalez suffered the oblique injury on Thursday night. He was hitting just .232 with two homers and 21 RBI, but he could've seen more time at first base with Colin Moran recently going on the injured list. Now Phillip Evans should see most of that playing time at the cold corner, giving him short-term appeal in NL-only leagues. Difo has hit .244/.287/.366 with a homer and six RBI in 87 plate appearances in Pittsburgh this year, but he'll serve as infield depth for one of the worst teams in the big leagues.
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Erik Gonzalez (side) exited Thursday's game against the Brewers due to right-side discomfort. He sustained the injury while trying to run out a single. The 29-year-old went 1-for-3 before exiting. Gonzalez has struggled in 2021, slashing .232/.258/.300 with two homers, 21 RBI, 17 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 229 plate appearances in 2021. The Pirates are short-handed in the infield and recently lost first baseman Colin Moran with a fractured wrist. Phillip Evans would see more time at first moving forward if Gonzalez is forced to miss any time. Both Gonzalez and Evans are mainly options in NL-only league formats.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Erik Gonzalez will be leading off for the first time this year on Thursday as the team takes on Shane Bieber and the Cleveland Indians. The team's primary leadoff hitter, second baseman Adam Frazier, is getting the day off. Gonzalez has primarily hit in the bottom-third of the order all year, but he's been one of the team's more consistent hitters. Gonzalez is slashing .313/.313/.500 with a home run, six doubles and nine RBI on the year. The 28-year-old Gonzalez has a career batting average of .265 and a career OPS of .675. He can remain on waivers in all fantasy leagues.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Erik Gonzalez, who had surgery on Thursday to fix his fractured left clavicle, will return to "full major league baseball activities" in roughly 10 to 12 weeks. It means that he won't be an option for the Bucs until late in the second half of the season. The 27-year-old was hitting just .216 (11-for-51) with no home runs, two RBI and three steals in the first month, so he wasn't much of a fantasy option to begin with. There will be no guarantee he'll get the starting job back when he's ready, either, so he can be dropped in all leagues.
Starling Marte Healing Well, Erik Gonzalez Has Surgery
The Pittsburgh Pirates are receiving different news from Starling Marte (abdomen) and Erik Gonzalez (collarbone) after their nasty collision last week. Marte, 30, resumed light baseball activities Wednesday, an encouraging bit of news. Gonzalez, however, took the brunt of the force from that collision. The 27-year-old suffered a fractured left clavicle and will head for surgery. A timetable will be announced after he undergoes the surgery. In other news, outfielder Corey Dickerson (shoulder) has been swinging the bat without restrictions and resumed throwing on flat ground, moving closer to a rehab assignment.
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said on Monday that shortstop Erik Gonzalez won the shortstop job over Kevin Newman. Gonzalez had gone 7-for-30 (.233) with a double, home run, 11 strikeouts and two errors in Grapefruit League action, while Newman was 8-for-29 (.276) with two doubles, a homer and no errors. In his three seasons as a utility infielder with Cleveland, Gonzalez had a .263 batting average with five home runs and 16 RBI in 162 combined games. He can be ignored in all but the deepest of NL-only leagues.
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder Erik Gonzalez and minor league pitchers Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza from the Indians on Wednesday in exchange for outfielder Jordan Luplow and infielder Max Moroff. With both Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison likely to depart in free agency this winter, the Bucs need some added middle infield depth and versatility, which Gonzalez will provide. He hit .265/.301/.375 with a homer and 16 RBI in 136 at-bats for the Indians this year. Gonzalez doesn't have much power, but he could be useful for middle infield depth in NL-only leagues if he plays enough.
Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona said that infielder Erik Gonzalez (concussion) has cleared the league's concussion protocol and will play in the intrasquad game on Tuesday. He will continue to be monitored by the team's staff. It remains to be seen if the utility infielder will even be on the roster for the American League Division Series against the Astros. Gonzalez hit .265/.301/.375 with one homer, 16 RBI and three steals in 136 at-bats this year.
Cleveland Indians infielder Erik Gonzalez (head) left the game early on Wednesday after being hit in the head by a pitch. He was hit in the left earflap by a 92.7 mph fastball from White Sox reliever Rob Scahill. Check back for more details on Gonzalez, but he'll surely be put in the concussion protocol and might not play again before Sunday. He was hitless in his lone plate appearance before leaving. Gonzalez is sparsely used by the Indians and is batting .265/.301/.375 with one homer and 16 RBI in just 143 at-bats this year.
Giovanny Urshela Likely to Start on the Disabled List; Erik Gonzalez to Take His Spot
Cleveland Indians infielder Giovanny Urshela (hamstring) is likely to start the season on the disabled list. Urshela suffered a hamstring strain earlier this week and was given a 10-14 day recovery period. He had been having an excellent spring and was very much on track to make the Opening Day roster, but his injury will keep him from it, opening the door for Erik Gonzalez. Urshela should get his spot back as soon as he is ready, but as a reserve infielder, he'll have little if any fantasy value unless a Cleveland infielder gets hurt.
Erik González
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Pirates
