Billy

Cook

Cook returns to the majors with Oneil Cruz hitting the injured list with multiple fractures in his left hand. The 27-year-old has hit .190 (4-for-21) with three stela sin 32 games for the Pirates this season. He’ll operate in a reserve role behind Jake Mangum.

The Pirates needed to make a move to clear a spot on their active roster for the promotion of Esmerlyn Valdez on Friday and Cook wound up being the odd man out this time around. He’ll return to an everyday role there until his services are needed by the Pirates once again.

The 30-year-old outfielder is currently being treated by the Pirates’ medical staff. Bill Cook will start in his place in center field and will bat eighth for the Pirates against Diamondbacks’ right-hander Zac Gallen.

Cruz will get a breather with left-hander Kyle Harrison toeing the slab for the Brewers on Sunday. Billy Cook will draw a rare start in center field and will bat ninth for the Pirates.

Billy Cook will start in left field and bat ninth on Thursday. There’s a left-hander on the mound, but Reynolds is a switch-hitter and has 27 plate appearances this season against lefties, so this is not a platoon situation. He is a better hitter against right-handed pitching, so there’s a chance that the Pirates get him more off days when lefties are on the mound, but that will be within his normal rest. Reynolds is off to a solid start to the season, hitting .288/.400/.470 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and a 49 percent hard-hit rate. He could still be a bit of a buy-low target if people are focused too much on his poor 2025 season.

Cook was just optioned out to Triple-A on Thursday, but he’ll return with Jared Triolo (knee) landing on the 10-day injured list. While he’s a nice depth piece for the Pirates, he isn’t likely to see enough playing time to gain any sort of relevancy from a fantasy perspective.

The Pirates needed to clear a spot on their active roster for the arrival of Konnor Griffin on Friday and unfortunately Cook was the odd man out this time around. The 27-year-old appeared in three games and scored a run during his stay with the Pirates, though he didn’t get a plate appearance. He’ll continue to function as extra outfield depth at the Triple-A level.

He’s 6-for-18 with five walks this spring. It’s really pretty weird that Cook is still on the Pirates’ 40-man roster after the cuts the team had to make in the offseason. He’s 27, and he never got a real look in the majors while hitting .248/.323/.384 in Triple-A last year. He’s not necessarily a bad bench option with his strong outfield defense and middling ability to hit lefties, but if the Pirates carry him alongside the similarly talented (but switch-hitting) Jake Mangum, he’d just be keeping a seat warm for Jhostynxon Garcia.

Cook went 2-for-6 with a run scored over three games with the Pirates while veteran Bryan Reynolds was away from the club on paternity leave. The 26-year-old rookie heads back to the minors for now, but he could get another look at some point later this year.

Cook is up with Bryan Reynolds on the Paternity List, and he’s also right into the starting lineup. He could likely be sent back down when Reynolds returns later this week, so he’s not worth chasing in fantasy leagues right now.