CHICAGO -- There was no lazy Sunday morning for the Pirates before the series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Prior to lineups even being released, the team announced a series of moves that will leave ⅔ of the Pirates’ opening day lineup either on the injured list, designated for assignment or otherwise unavailable.
In the first wave of transactions, Ke’Bryan Hayes will be transferred to the 60-day injured list with his persistent left wrist discomfort, Colin Moran was placed on the 10-day IL with a left groin strain and Troy Stokes Jr. has been recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis to the active roster.
Then shortly before first pitch, outfielder Ben Gamel was also claimed off waivers from the Indians but will need some time to pass intake testing and join the club. Michael Feliz was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Gamel, and Geoff Hartlieb was recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis to cover the spot on the active roster until Gamel is cleared.
And to add to the madness of the afternoon, Bryan Reynolds is out of the lineup for a second consecutive game with what Derek Shelton described as lower body soreness.
The Hayes move was unrelated to any setback, according to Shelton and Ben Cherington. He’ll be eligible to return on June 3, and his move to the 60-day IL allows for the team to add Stokes to the 40-man roster.
“We had started to map out a return to play for him over the last several days, and it was going to be in that early June -- once we built in games,” Cherington said on his Sunday morning radio show. “Now that he's been down for a while we need to go through a game progression. Sort of get his legs built back up, get him used to playing nine innings again.”
Moran’s injury was confirmed by Shelton on Sunday, and it was revealed that it occurred on the sudden move toward first base.
Cherington explained that there are differences in monitoring an acute injury of this nature as opposed to a more persistent product of overuse or wear and tear.
“I think we've got to learn more here over the next day or two,” Cherington said.
Moran was the Pirates’ leader in most offensive categories, and his role at first base will likely be filled by Todd Frazier, Phillip Evans and, on occasion, Erik Gonzalez.
In the outfield, Gamel has been a journeyman over six seasons in the majors, playing for the Yankees, Mariners, Brewers and, most recently, Indians. The Indians designated him for assignment after he started this season 1-for-14. He's a career .259 hitter, recording 23 home runs, 126 RBIs and a 94 OPS+.
Stokes is making his Major League Sunday. The 25-year-old outfielder can play all three positions, a plus for a team that is short on outfield depth at the moment. He hit two home runs this spring and made an overall good impression in Bradenton, Fla.
"[He's] a guy that covers us well in the outfield and is a threat from the right side," Cherington said.
Hartlieb was called up for a cup of coffee in April, but did not make an appearance before being optioned. He pitched to a 3.63 ERA over 22 1/3 innings last season.