Assistant GM gives minor league update
Pittsburgh Pirates assistant general manager Steve Sanders, filling in for Ben Cherington Sunday on 93.7 FM, provided updates on a number of the club’s minor-league players.
Notably, catcher Henry Davis is finding a bit of a stride at Triple-A Indianapolis after a demotion May 3.
Davis hit just .162 in 23 games with the Pirates this year but is batting .257 through 10 games with the Indians.
Saturday vs. Toledo, he hit a pair of home runs.
“Henry’s really just focused on getting back to being the player that we’ve seen in the past,” Sanders said. “He’s challenging himself every day in his training and his work. He goes out every night in Indy to beat the other team, and he’s relentless in that. … We’re certainly excited to continue to watch him develop there and, hopefully, be back in the big leagues to help us.”
At Double-A Altoona, right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler has been placed on the seven-day injured list retroactive to May 18 with forearm tightness.
Chandler, the Pirates’ No. 3 overall prospect, is 1-3 with a 5.84 ERA over eight games for the Curve.
The 21-year-old had looked sharp through his first six starts, posting a 3.10 ERA, but his last two have gone off the rails, including most recently May 17, when he lasted just 2⁄3 innings against the Akron RubberDucks, allowing five earned runs and five walks.
“He’s really, really important to us long-term, and I think what we saw from him there the first month-and-ahalf of the season shows the immense upside he has,” Sanders said. “He’s a special athlete who’s continuing to mature and develop on the mound.”
Sanders touched on a number of developments at Indianapolis, including pitcher Domingo German making his debut with the Indians on Sunday.
German, 31, was signed by the Pirates to a minor-league deal in March, made his first appearance with the organization on May 14, tossing four innings for Low-A Bradenton.
The right-hander threw a perfect game for the New York Yankees on June 29, 2023.
From 2017-23 with the Yankees, with whom he spent the entirety of his MLB career before being placed on waivers in November, he posted a record of 31-28 and a 4.41 ERA.
Several off-field issues, including an investigation for domestic abuse in 2019 as well as undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse, have plagued German over his career.
“He got up to Indianapolis this week, so we’re certainly excited to get him back to that level,” Sanders said. “Domingo’s a veteran. We’ve seen him perform at the highest level. We’re excited to get him to (Indianapolis), get him with our staff there. He’s got the stuff, the command and the pitch ability to help us in the major leagues.”
Sanders also spoke about two of the hottest bats across all of Triple-A: Ji Hwan Bae, batting .366 through 25 games with the Indians; and Jake Lamb, who’s hitting .339 through 32 games.
Bae, who plays second base and outfield, looks to be on the short list of players who soon could make their 2024 debut with the Pirates.
“He’s got a chance to be a dynamic player for us and help impact the game in multiple ways,” Sanders said. “He’s moving around the field and has been able to help us defensively in multiple spots. … Bae’s putting himself in a good spot to help us.”
As for the veteran 33-yearold Lamb, a first baseman, Rowdy Tellez’s ongoing offensive struggles (.188 batting average through 43 games) with the Pirates could provide him with a big-league opportunity before long.
However, Lamb’s .306 career minor-league batting average hasn’t translated to MLB in the past, where he has hit .235 over parts of 10 seasons.
“He’s an incredible professional on and off the field and is one of the toughest outs in the minor leagues right now,” Sanders said. “In addition to what he’s doing on the field, he’s providing a great veteran presence for our clubhouse. … Jake’s showed up every day, he’s present every pitch, he’s focused on what he needs to do to be successful every day, which really sets a great example for our younger players there. It gives us a really good feeling knowing we have a quality bat there.”
Note: Sanders said catcher Jason Delay, on the 60-day injured list after knee surgery in April, has been transferred to Florida to continue his rehabilitation. Delay is expected to begin participating in games over the next week or so.
