Pirates Shuffle Outfield Again Amidst Injury Woes

The Pittsburgh Pirates have introduced an entirely new outfield configuration for their upcoming series opener against the Chicago Cubs on May 25. Rookie Jhostynxon Garcia is set to make his first start in left field, batting eighth. Bryan Reynolds will move to right field, taking over from Esmerlyn Valdez, and will continue to bat third in the order.

Oneil Cruz is returning to center field and will remain fifth in the batting order. This change comes after Cruz served as designated hitter in recent games to manage fatigue, a strategy manager Don Kelly employed to keep him effective over the long season. Jake Mangum, who started in center field previously, will see time at all outfield positions.

The necessity for these adjustments stems from an injury to Ryan O'Hearn, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 17 with a right quad muscle strain. O'Hearn is anticipated to be sidelined for approximately three to four weeks, creating a need for a fill-in at right field. Both Garcia and Valdez were recently brought up to provide right-handed power bats.

Spencer Horwitz will lead off for the second straight game, following a strong performance including a solo home run in his previous outing. The rest of the batting order features Brandon Lowe second, Reynolds third, Nick Gonzales fourth, and Cruz fifth. Marcell Ozuna is back at designated hitter, batting sixth, with Konnor Griffin at shortstop batting seventh. Garcia bats eighth, and Henry Davis returns at catcher to complete the lineup batting ninth.

On the mound, right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski is scheduled to start, marking his ninth start and eleventh outing of 2026. The Pirates continue to shuffle players to optimize performance and cover for injuries as the season progresses.