Pirates call up 2020 1st-round draft pick Nick Gonzales from Triple-A
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A handful of days after promoting Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, to the big leagues, the Pittsburgh Pirates brought up another top prospect.
Infielder Nick Gonzales, the No. 7 overall selection in the 2020 draft, joined the Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. Gonzales was in the starting lineup at second base for Friday’s game at Miami.
To add Gonzales to the 40-man roster, the Pirates optioned outfielder Cal Mitchell, who was called up from Indianapolis on Tuesday for his 2023 debut, back to the Indians.
Right-handed pitcher Vince Velasquez, who underwent season-ending elbow surgery on June 7, was transferred from the 15- to 60-day injured list.
Mitchell appeared in 69 games with the Pirates last year, batting .226 with five home runs and 17 RBIs while primarily playing right field.
Gonzales, 24, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 5 prospect in the Pirates’ minor-league system.
He is wearing No. 39 with the Pirates.
Along with the decision to add Davis, general manager Ben Cherington likely hopes calling up Gonzales will add a spark for the Pirates (34-40), who were navigating a season-worst 10-game losing streak heading into Friday night and had slipped to fourth place in the NL Central.
In 57 games this season for the Indians, Gonzales is hitting .257 with six home runs and 27 RBIs. He has stuck out 75 times with 35 walks and sports a .370 on-base percentage. During June, Gonzales is hitting .270 through 63 at-bats.
Defensively, the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Gonzales has split time at second base (33 games), third base (14 games) and shortstop (eight games).
During his weekly radio show on 93.7 FM earlier this month, Cherington hinted June could be a time with a lot of player movement within the organization.
With the Pirates slumping, Cherington’s projection increasingly has morphed into reality as two of the club’s top prospects are getting their first shot at the big leagues.
After being drafted out of New Mexico State, Gonzales spent the majority of 2021 playing at High-A Greensboro before a promotion to Double-A Altoona in 2022.
Second base has been Gonzales’ primary position dating to college, but the Pirates have looked to familiarize him around the infield during his time in the minors.
Source: TribLIVE
