Weekly Report: Road Wins, Yah - You'll Need A Scorecard, IKF & Heandog Gone, Minor & MLB News

A long summer turns into September…

Pirates Stuff:

• IF Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who was in the walk year of his contract, was placed on outright waivers on Friday. IKF hit .268 while playing SS/3B. His release helps open up audition time for a wide-open third-base battle in 2026. He was claimed by Toronto, the team the Pirates took him from via trade last year. The Bucs recalled Indy SS/CF Ryan Kreidler to fill IKF’s spot. He was picked up last week off waivers from Detroit; he hit .138 over three years with Motown. No, we don’t know why, either, except he fits the BC mold.
• The Pirates brought up 3B Cam Devanney from Indy on Saturday as a replacement for Ronny Simon; he’s considered a part of the mix for the hot corner next year. The Bucs got him in the KC/Adam Frazier deal. Cam, 28, has been in AAA since 2023, batting .264 with 53 HR and he made his MLB debut on Sunday.

Devanney takes the field for his debut – photo/Pirates

• The Pirates recalled OF Ronny Simon and LHP Evan Sisk from Indy to replace OF Jack Suwinski, who was placed on the 10-day IL with a right groin strain and RHP Kyle Nicolas, who was placed on Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List. Simon lasted one game; he injured his shoulder scoring as a pinch-runner and landed on the 10-day IL
• Out with a concussion since August 12, Oneil Cruz left rehab and joined the Bucs on Monday to be evaluated. He was activated the following day.
• Other Tuesday moves: RHP Dauri Moreta was recalled from Indy, RHP Andrew Heaney was DFA’ed and OF Ronny Simon optioned back to AAA (he was recalled on Friday). Heaney cleared the wire and is now a free agent.
• Lefty reliever Tim Mayza was released and claimed by Philly.
• Bubba Chandler became the first player with a win and a save in his first two MLB games since Mickey Weston for the 1989 Orioles. He’s the fourth Pirate to do so, with the last being Bob Klinger in 1938.

Bubba’s first win – 8/27/2025 photo/Pirates

• On Tuesday, Jared Triolo became the first Pirate with five straight multi-hit games in a season since Starling Marte in 2017. The two knocks also extended his seven-game hitting streak as he pushes for the 2026 SS gig. Both streaks ended the next day; he went 0-for 2, although he walked twice and scored a run.
• The Pirates 2026 schedule was released. They open in NY against the Mets on March 26 with the Home Opener on April 3 v the Baltimore Orioles.
• Indy LHP Nick Dombkowski, 26, was named the International League Pitcher of the Week. He went six innings against Syracuse last week, giving up two hits while fanning four to claim a 6-0 victory over old Bucco Brandon Waddell.
• RHP Yonleg Gaetano, 20, was named a Dominican Summer League All-Star. The Venezuelan  went 2-2/0.93 with 12K/nine IP for the Gold team.
• 1B Nick Cimillo of Altoona had five hits Friday while posting a cycle, the second Curve player to put one up; the other was Andrew Lambo in 2013.
• Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson showed up for the second Savannah Bananas game at PNC Park and took an at bat during the sold-out, two-game series. Freddy popped out to second and Jack grounded out to short.

Game Stuff:

• Johan Oviedo got the start against the Cards and left with a 4-1 pad built by Bryan Reynolds & Spencer Horwitz dingers, tho he only got four innings/52 pitches as the Bucs shudder to stretch their young starters. It cost them as Andrew Heaney followed, was lit up, and lost the lead. Ronny Simon’s double tied it up at six apiece in the ninth. But the lead didn’t last long; Dennis Santana gave up a two-out bomb and the Cards walked off a 7-6 win.
• The Pirates opened with a five-spot in the first and Henry Davis’ dinger made it 8-0 after three. Mitch Keller left after six frames, up 8-3, and three innings of no-hit work by Kyle Nichols and Isaac Mattson finished off the match.
• Carmen Mlodzinski, winner Bubba Chandler, Isaac Mattson and Dennis Santana were shovin; and the Bucs took another from the Cards, 2-1. Tommy Pham’s two-run, bases-juiced single in the sixth was the game-winner against the Redbirds. 

Tommy Pham – photo 2025 SportsNet Pgh.

• Braxton Ashcraft had a strong outing (5-2/3 IP, four hits, one run, five K) but the offense and Yohan Ramirez didn’t. The result was a 4-1 loss to St. Louis and a series split. The Bucs only run came on a Pham homer.
• Paul Skenes and the bullpen, along with timely hitting by Pham and Cutch (not so much for the other guys; the Bucs were 2-for-13 w/RISP), won the opener at Fenway by dropping the BoSox, 4-2. The insurance run came on a Henry Davis squeeze that scored Ronny Simon, but may have cost the OF’er his audition time, as he banged up his shoulder (early indications are a dislocation; and he went on the 10-day IL the next day) when he slid home on a play that required a review and overturn to count. 
• Johan Oviedo went five strong, the bullpen went four strong, Jared Triolo & Spencer Horwitz scored four times from the 1-2 spots while Bryan Reynolds, Tommy Pham & Nick Gonzales drove in six runs from mid-order and finally, Oneil Cruz bopped one over the Green Monster as the Bucs took a 10-3 dub.
• The Pirates couldn’t catch a ball behind Mitch Keller and Colin Holderman had another forgettable outing as the BoSox salvaged a game of the set, 5-2. The day’s highlight was Alexander Canario’s shot over the Green Monster.
• The Bucs are off Monday and start a homestand Tuesday v LA.

MLB Stuff:

• LHP Ryan Borucki, who declared for free agency after the Pirates let him go, has signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays. 
• Carlos Santana, the Bucs de facto 1B in 2023, was put on outright waivers by Cleveland. Slamtana, 39, was hitting just .225 w/11 HR.
• RHP Roansy Contreras was called up by the Orioles; he pitched out of the pen for the LAA last year after Pgh. let him go and spent this year in the Bird minors. He can’t win – Roansy tossed 4-1/3 scoreless innings for the Birds, then was DFA’ed .
• LHP Aroldis Chapman and the Red Sox agreed to a $13M contract extension (his deal was for $10.8M this year) through 2026 with an option for 2027.