Pirates Place Second Baseman on Injured List
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will not have one of their starting infielders for the next week or two, due to injury.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced that second baseman Nick Gonzales is going on the 10-day Injured List with a non-displaced fracture of the left ankle, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Enmanuel Valdez will come up from Triple-A Indianapolis and take Gonzales' place.
Nick Gonzales is going to the 10-day injured list with a non-displaced fracture of the left ankle, per Derek Shelton. Enmanuel Valdez recalled
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) March 28, 2025
Gonzales hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning in the Pirates home opener vs. the Miami Marlins on March 27, giving his team a 4-1 lead.
He ran around the bases, but with a limp, as it was clear he hurt something during his home run trot. The Pirates would take Gonzales out of the game, with Adam Frazier coming in at second base.
Pittsburgh originally gave an update on Gonzales, that said he departed due to left ankle discomfort and that he was day-to-day.
Shelton said after the game that he suffered some pain from two foul balls off his left ankle against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 19. He also didn't like what he saw from him running around the bases, so he had to make the change.
Gonzales had a solid campaign for the Pirates in 2024, slashing .270/.311/.398, with 97 hits, 19 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 49 RBIs with 18 walks to 74 strikeouts in 94 games.
The Pirates landed Valdez in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Dec. 15, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Joey Vogatsky.
Valdez played in 49 games for the Red Sox in 2023, slashing .266/.311/.453 for an OPS of .764, with 37 hits, eight doubles, six home runs, 19 RBIs, eight walks and five stolen bases.
He then appeared in 76 games for Boston in 2024, as he slashed .214/.270/.363 for an OPS of .633, with 43 hits, 12 doubles, six home runs, 28 RBIs and 17 walks.
Valdez had a solid Spring Training for the Pirates, as he had an on-base percentage of .438, with nine walks to five strikeouts.
The Pirates start their second game of their opening series vs. the Marlins on the road with a 7:10 p.m. start time on March 28.
