Pirates Designate Outfielder for Assignment
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made a number of roster moves, including putting one of their players on waivers.
The Pirates put on their transactions page that they designated outfielder Joshua Palacios for assignment, as they selected the contract of pitcher Hunter Stratton from Triple-A Indianapolis, putting him on the 40-man roster.
Palacios played 91 games for the Pirates in the 2023 season, slashing .239/.279/.413, with nine doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 40 RBI.
He played in just 23 games for the Pirates in 2024, dealing with some minor injuries and spending most of his time in Indianapolis, playing 50 games there. He slashed .224/.333/.343 with 15 hits, two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and 10 walks for the Pirates last season.
Stratton suffered a serious injury last season against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 24. He threw a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning that catcher Joey Bart couldn't handle and he had to run to go get it. Stratton ran to home plate to try and tag out Reds second baseman Jonathan India, who would steal home, but missed the ball, as it bounced off his glove and went to the backstop.
He ran behind home plate to get the ball, but slipped in the dirt and stayed on the ground in serious pain and pointing to his left knee.
The Pirates announced on Aug. 25 that Stratton suffered a rupture of his left patella tendon and then placed him on the 60-day Injured List, which ended his season.
The patella, or knee cap, is the tendon that is connected to the tibia. So when someone ruptures it, they suffer pain walking, and may have trouble extending the knee.
This injury has a recovery period of seven to 10 months, so Stratton is not officially back healthy yet. He also signed a minor league contract with the Pirates on Dec. 8.
The Pirates took Stratton in the 16th Round of the 2017 MLB Draft, after he spent two seasons pitching for Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn. He spent 2017-23 in the minor leagues before the Pirates called him up on Sept. 4, 2023.
He pitched in eight games in the 2023 season for the Pirates, with a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings and 10 strikeouts to three walks.
Stratton came in relief in 36 games for the Pirates last season before his injury. He had a 2-1 record, a 3.58 ERA in 37 2/3 innings, 33 strikeouts to seven walks and a. 258 opposing batting average.
