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Yorke has earned a roster spot with the Pirates to begin the 2026 season, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Yorke had a contact-heavy approach at the plate this spring, as he struck out only four times across 49 plate appearances. However, he also had only two extra-base hits and a .370 slugging percentage. Yorke's primary value to the Pirates will be his versatility, as he played across the infield and at both corner-outfield spots this spring. He should operate primarily as a bench bat.
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Pirates' Billy Cook: Secures roster spot
Rotowire
Cook will begin the season on the major-league roster, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Cook doesn't figure to draw starts often, but he'll serve as the fifth outfielder and should also be an emergency option at first base. Cook has had a solid spring, slugging two homers with seven RBI and seven runs scored in 19 games while reaching base at a .347 clip across 48 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Clinches rotation spot
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The Pirates announced that Mlodzinski will start the team's third game of the season next Sunday against the Mets at Citi Field, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Mlodzinski has emerged from spring training with the fifth starter's role after he was involved in a wide-open competition that included Jose Urquidy, Hunter Barco and non-roster invitee Mike Clevinger. Urquidy and/or Clevinger should be in good position to break camp as members of the bullpen, and the Pirates could look to deploy either pitcher in tandem with Mlodzinski, who built up to five innings and 64 pitches in his most recent Grapefruit League outing back on March 14. Mlodzinski made 12 starts for Pittsburgh in 2025 but never reached six innings in any of those outings. The right-hander pitched effectively both as a starter and out of the bullpen, finishing last season with a 3.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 89:27 K:BB across 99 frames.
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Pirates' Chris Devenski: Unable to win roster spot
Rotowire
The Pirates reassigned Devenski (head) to minor-league camp Sunday.
Devenski had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee and had allowed four earned runs on eight hits and one walk over 5.1 innings during the Grapefruit League. He hadn't pitched since March 13 after taking a line drive off his head in a game against the Tigers, but the veteran reliever was able to walk off the field under his own power and has been resting comfortably at home ever since, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. Assuming he doesn't opt out of his minor-league contract with Pittsburgh, Devenski appears likely to open the season on Triple-A Indianapolis' injured list.
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Pirates' Carson Fulmer: Denied Opening Day roster spot
Rotowire
The Pirates reassigned Fulmer to minor-league camp Sunday.
Fulmer is expected to open the season at Triple-A Indianapolis after he was unable to secure a bullpen role with the Pirates coming out of camp. The 32-year-old righty appeared in 13 big-league games with the Angels in 2025, pitching to a 5.83 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 26:11 K:BB in 29.1 innings.
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Pirates' Alika Williams: Fails to win utility gig
Rotowire
The Pirates reassigned Williams to minor-league camp Sunday.
Williams will start at second base and bat ninth Sunday against the Red Sox in the Pirates' Grapefruit League finale, but the 27-year-old will fall short in his bid for a utility spot on the Bucs' Opening Day roster. He's expected to report to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he spent the entire 2025 season while slashing .268/.329/.392 with nine home runs and four steals across 394 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Cam Sanders: Sent to minors
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Sanders to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.
Sanders allowed four runs and struck out 10 over 7.2 innings during spring training, but it wasn't enough to get him a place on the Opening Day roster. The right-hander surrendered six earned runs across 6.2 frames in his first taste of the majors last year.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Optioned to minors
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Flores to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.
The 25-year-old struggled this spring, going 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts and six walks in 14 games. Flores made his MLB debut with seven appearances for Pittsburgh last year and could rejoin the big club in 2026 if depth at first base or catcher is needed.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: Reassigned to minors camp
Rotowire
The Pirates reassigned Griffin to minor-league camp Saturday.
Despite being included in several roster projections, the 19-year-old will officially head back to the minors to begin the 2026 season after going 7-for-38 (.184) in spring training with four homers, nine RBI and seven runs scored. Although he missed the cut for the Opening Day roster, a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis is certainly possible, and his MLB debut could still come in the near future if he continues to dominate minor-league pitching as he did in 2025 (.941 OPS).
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Pirates' Tyler Callihan: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Pirates optioned Callihan to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Callihan was acquired by the Pirates from the Reds in early March in a move that saw Kyle Nicolas go to Cincinnati. Callihan was competing for a depth spot on the Pirates' Opening Day roster and could see some major-league action in 2026 if Pittsburgh needs a utility man on the roster. He made his major-league debut with the Reds in 2025, appearing in four games and going 1-for-6 with an RBI.
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Pirates' Jhostynxon Garcia: Starting season in Triple-A
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The Pirates optioned Garcia to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Garcia put together a strong spring training, appearing in 17 Grapefruit League games and posting a .405/.463/.595 slash line with three steals, two home runs and five RBI in 41 plate appearances. Although he won't be part of the Pirates' Opening Day roster, Garcia should have the opportunity to play in the majors this season, especially when Pittsburgh requires more depth in the outfield.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Slumping in spring
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Bart has gone 5-for-31 with 13 strikeouts across 12 Grapefruit League games.
Bart is likely the favorite to win a roster spot as Pittsburgh's second catcher alongside Henry Davis, and his path became clearer earlier in the week when Endy Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Rafael Flores also remains in the mix, though he has hit poorly this spring.
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Pirates' Rafael Flores: Struggling in spring
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Flores has gone 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts during Grapefruit League games.
Flores is vying for a roster spot as a second catcher alongside Henry Davis, with Joey Bart being his primary competition. Neither has made much of an impression, as Bart has struck out 13 times across 31 at-bats with only five hits. Flores made his major-league debut to close 2025 but had only 17 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Paul Skenes: Tapped for Opening Day
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Skenes will start Opening Day against the Mets on March 26.
It wasn't hard to see this decision coming, as Skenes took home the National League Cy Young Award last season after posting a 1.97 ERA and 0.95 WHIP alongside a 216:42 K:BB over 187.2 innings. The 23-year-old ace struggled to collect wins last season -- a problem that could continue into 2026 -- but he should still be viewed as one of the top fantasy pitchers in virtually all formats.
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Pirates' Endy Rodriguez: Relegated to Indianapolis
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.
Rodriguez made a strong case to make the Pirates' Opening Day roster while posting a .977 OPS across 30 plate appearances this spring, but he will instead return to Triple-A to begin the regular season. The 25-year-old would likely be recalled to Pittsburgh if the big club needs extra depth behind the plate or at first base.
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