Hunter

Owen

Zero surprises here as the Pirates continue to pare down their spring roster in advance of Opening Day later this week.

The 28-year-old Owen got to make his major league debut last May with Ke’Bryan Hayes out, but he went 0-for-4 in three games and then was removed from the 40-man roster, never to return. A member of the Pirates organization since 2016, he’s always shown pretty good power, but the homers come with too many strikeouts. He’ll probably spend most of the year in Triple-A.

Owen was designated for assignment after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his brief time with the Pirates. He’ll likely report to Triple-A and spend the rest of the year in Indianapolis.

Owen went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts during his week-long stay on the Pirates’ active roster.

Owen will give the Pirates some extra position player depth while Gregory Polanco (undisclosed) is on the injured list. Owen, 27, is a career .266/.341/.473 hitter in 362 minor league games.