The Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated outfielder Gregory Polanco from the injured list Tuesday after he made a brief IL stint because of the MLB’s health and safety protocols.
Polanco had been placed on the COVID-related IL exactly one week earlier after he “utilized a training service that was outside of the Pirates’ bubble,” according to a prior Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.
Despite being activated, the Pirates did not have the left-handed hitting Polanco in the starting lineup for the team’s home game against Cincinnati on Tuesday night and Reds right-hander Jeff Hoffman.
Polanco, 29, has posted a .200/.289/.350 batting line in 24 games this season with three home runs and five RBIs. He is coming off a difficult season in which he hit only .153 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 50 games. This is his eighth season in the big leagues, all of which have been with the Pirates.
In other moves Tuesday, Pittsburgh selected the contract of left-hander Chasen Shreve and designated outfielder/third baseman Hunter Owen for assignment. The team also placed right-hander Kyle Crick on the 10-day IL with a strained triceps muscle, a move that is retroactive to May 1.
Shreve, 30, will be pitching for his fifth team when he debuts with the Pirates after joining the club on a minor league deal over the winter. He has also pitched for the Atlanta Braves (2014), New York Yankees (2015-18), St. Louis Cardinals (2018-19) and New York Mets (2020). He was 1-0 with a 3.96 ERA in 17 relief outings last season with the Mets.
Crick, 28, is 0-0 this season with a 1.59 ERA in 12 appearances out of the bullpen.
Owen, 27, went 0-for-4 in five plate appearances this season with the Pirates in his first taste of the majors.
–Field Level Media