CHICAGO — Bryan Reynolds, the minor-league outfielder acquired from the Giants this offseason in the Andrew McCutchen trade, will undergo surgery on his left hand Friday to remove the fractured hook of his hamate bone, Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates' director of sports medicine, told reporters Thursday at Wrigley Field.
Reynolds, a 23-year-old switch-hitter, suffered the injury while swinging the bat right-handed during a game for Double-A Altoona last Sunday. He struck out swinging against a left-handed pitcher in the third inning and was replaced at the beginning of the fifth inning. Tomczyk said a recovery time for Reynolds will not be established until after the surgery is performed by Dr. Edward Birdsong at Allegheny Health Network.
Reynolds spent all of last season with the Giants' High-A San Jose affiliate, batting .312/.364/.462 with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs in 121 games. He was acquired in the three-player trade that sent McCutchen to the Giants in January. The Pirates' other acquisition, relief pitcher Kyle Crick, is with Triple-A Indianapolis.
Reynolds went 1 for 21 in 13 games for the Pirates in Grapefruit League play this spring, striking out seven times with no walks. He went 3 for 13 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs in four games for the Curve.
The injury is similar to the one suffered by Francisco Cervelli in June 2016. Cervelli missed just over five weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken left hamate bone, but the injury bothered him the following season, particularly when catching low pitches, although a catcher faces different challenges than an outfielder.