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Esmerlyn Valdez’s torrid start to his major-league career has somehow continued to fly somewhat under the radar during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ road trip through Cleveland and New York.
Valdez has homered three times on the trip, including a two-run opposite-field shot Monday at Yankee Stadium. It was his 13th homer of the season, giving him 34 RBI through just 32 career games.
That puts Valdez in rare company. He became only the second player since RBIs became official in 1920 to record at least 13 homers and 34 RBI through his first 32 games, joining Rhys Hoskins in 2017. Valdez has also driven in a run in eight consecutive games, the longest streak by a Pirate since Kevin Young in 1999.
The rookie is now slashing .306/.377/.750 with a 1.127 OPS and has driven in 22 runs in 15 games this month. Don't look now, but he may very well be a dark horse candidate in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
Spencer Horwitz one step closer to Pirates return after beginning rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton
Spencer Horwitz took another step toward returning to the Pirates’ lineup Tuesday, beginning a minor league rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton.
Horwitz, who has been sidelined since June 25 with a left hamstring strain, reached base in all three of his plate appearances, going 1-for-1 with two walks. The 28-year-old will likely need a few more rehab games to get his timing and conditioning back before rejoining Pittsburgh, but his return could come before the end of July.
Getting Horwitz back would provide a significant boost to a Pirates lineup that has been forced to navigate multiple injuries in recent weeks. Before landing on the injured list, Horwitz was slashing .280/.386/.455 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs in 74 games.
Assuming he avoids any setbacks during his rehab assignment, Horwitz appears to be closing in on a return for the stretch run.
Former Pirates reliever Justin Lawrence designated for assignment (again)
Former Pirates reliever Justin Lawrence is on the move again after the Washington Nationals designated him for assignment Tuesday, less than a month after claiming him off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
Lawrence appeared seven times for Washington, allowing three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings for a 4.26 ERA. His control problems persisted, however, as he walked seven batters while striking out six.
The Pirates took a chance on Lawrence before the 2025 season and briefly appeared to unlock something. Despite missing more than four months with elbow inflammation, he posted a 0.51 ERA with a 33% strikeout rate in 17 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh tendered him a contract for 2026 at $1.225 million, but that success didn't carry over.
Lawrence has since bounced from Pittsburgh to Minnesota and Washington while posting a 7.34 ERA this season. His 15.8% walk rate has been the biggest issue, and he has also hit six batters. The 31-year-old will now head to waivers again, where another club could take a chance on his velocity and strikeout upside. If that happens, it would be his fourth MLB organization in a single season.
Today's best reads
- MLB.com just made a baffling Pirates trade suggestion that misses the point
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- Esmerlyn Valdez's hot Pirates run just got compared to AL MVP candidate
- Pirates Injury Update: Oneil Cruz IL move, Spencer Horwitz and Endy Rodríguez rehab news
- Pirates' bizarre All Star snub actually validates their biggest strength
This article was originally published on rumbunter.com as Pirates News: Esmerlyn Valdez streak, Spencer Horwitz rehab assignment, former pitcher DFA’d.
