Pirates news: Khristian Curtis debut, 2026 draft signings, veteran re-signed to minor league deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned right-hander Khristian Curtis back to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday morning, one day after the 24-year-old delivered an impressive performance in his MLB debut.

Curtis, whose contract was selected ahead of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians, entered Game 2 in the second inning and tossed five scoreless innings in relief. The Pirates’ No. 21 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out four.

He threw 42 of his 68 pitches for strikes and departed after the sixth inning with Pittsburgh holding the lead. His five scoreless frames marked the longest relief outing by a Pirates pitcher in his MLB debut since Steve Blass also worked five scoreless innings on May 10, 1964.

Curtis was in position to earn his first major league victory before Pittsburgh’s bullpen let the game slip away. Brandon Eisert, Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana struggled late, with Cleveland tying the game in the eighth before Travis Bazzana hit a walk-off two-run homer off Santana in the ninth for a 5-3 Guardians victory.

Despite the result, Curtis made a strong first impression at a time when the Pirates are searching for answers in a bullpen that has emerged as one of the roster’s biggest weaknesses.

Curtis is 2-8 with a 4.96 ERA in the minors this season, including a 5.57 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 15 walks over 21 innings at Triple-A. His brief audition could put him in consideration for another opportunity later this season — or perhaps serve as an audition for other teams ahead of the trade deadline.

Pirates sign 6 players from 2026 draft class, including 5 pitchers

The Pirates announced the signing of six selections from the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday: left-hander Ryan Marohn, right-handers Tyler Fay, Bryson Moore, Alex Overbay and Michael Gibson, and third baseman Tre Phelps III. All six players have been assigned to the Florida Complex League.

Marohn, Pittsburgh’s fifth-round selection, was ranked as the No. 90 prospect in the draft by Baseball America after going 6-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 62 strikeouts in eight starts at NC State this spring.

Fay, a sixth-round pick, posted an 11-5 record with a 4.54 ERA and 127 strikeouts over 18 starts while helping Alabama reach the College World Series. Seventh-rounder Moore went 6-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 14 starts at Florida State.

Overbay, the son of former Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay, was selected in the eighth round out of Arizona State. Phelps, Pittsburgh’s ninth-round pick, earned first-team All-SEC honors at Georgia after batting .348 with 19 home runs and 59 RBIs.

The Pirates rounded out the group by signing Gibson, a two-way standout from The Citadel who earned All-American honors after hitting .408 while also recording 10 saves.

Veteran outfielder Dominic Fletcher returns to Pirates on minor league deal

The Pirates have brought outfielder Dominic Fletcher back to the organization on a minor league deal, according to his MLB.com transactions tracker.

Fletcher exercised an opt-out in his previous contract on July 1, and the Pirates released him after declining to add him to the major league roster. After roughly two weeks on the open market, the 28-year-old returned and was back in Triple-A Indianapolis’ lineup Friday.

Fletcher has enjoyed a strong season at Triple-A, batting .288/.379/.511 with eight home runs through 42 games. He has primarily played center field while also seeing time in both corner outfield spots. He has provided value defensively, recording 13 Defensive Runs Saved in 872 2/3 innings in the outfield.

For now, Fletcher gives the Pirates additional experienced outfield depth while continuing his season with Indianapolis.

Today's best reads

• Complete list of Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2026 MLB Draft picks
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• Pirates have Paul Skenes motivation to deviate from usual Draft strategy with No. 5 pick
• Pirates double down on defense with two fascinating MLB Draft selections
• Paul Skenes gem couldn't hide a concerning Pirates pitching problem

This article was originally published on rumbunter.com as Pirates News: Khristian Curtis debut, 2026 draft signings, veteran re-signed to minor league deal.