Nick

Yorke

Yorke was 0-for-8 in nine days since returning to the majors on May 8. The Pirates could replace him with fellow utilityman Tyler Callahan or maybe Rafael Flores Jr. as another catcher option.

The versatile 24-year-old will return to add an extra bat to the Pirates’ bench with Jake Mangum (hamstring) heading to the injured list. Yorke has hit just .221/.308/.309 with one homer and six RBI in 78 plate appearances with the Bucs this season.

Yorke has been jettisoned from Pittsburgh’s bench mix after hitting .221/.308/.309 with one homer and six RBI across 78 plate appearances over 23 games to open the season. He loses his spot with Jared Triolo returning from the injured list for Saturday’s game against the Reds.

Yorke tagged Ian Seymour for a 394-foot (106.6 mph EV) solo shot in the eighth inning that increased the Pirates’ lead to 6-2. For the season, the 24-year-old infielder is now hitting .246/.343/.351 with one home run and four RBI in his first 67 plate appearances.

Yorke has now gone 8-for-21 (.381) to start the season with two doubles, two RBI, and a 4/4 K/BB ratio. The 24-year-old doesn’t have much power or speed, but he can play first base, second base, third base, and corner outfield, which should enable him to play a super utility role in Pittsburgh.

The Reds are throwing a left-hander, but Lowe has started against the first three left-handers the Pirates have faced. That being said, he’s also 0-for-9 with two strikeouts, so maybe giving him a few days off against left-handed pitching isn’t the worst idea. Nick Gonzales will shift over to second base with Nick Yorke playing third and batting sixth.

Yorke came to the Pirates at the end of the 2024 season in exchange for Quinn Priester, but he has not yet delivered in Pittsburgh. Last season, he had a .232/.264/.319 slash line in 74 MLB plate appearances. However, he also hit .287/.348/.406 in 440 Triple-A plate appearances with seven home runs and 17 steals. Right now, he is slated to play second base only against lefties when Brandon Lowe sits, but perhaps Yorke could push for the third base job and push Jared Triolo to shortstop or to the bench.

Yorke put the Pirates on the board with a solo blast off Luis Morales in the second inning for his first home run of the season through 15 games. He later added a base hit in the fourth. The 23-year-old infielder is hitting .217/.250/.326 over 48 plate appearances.

After a good month of August, Reynolds has started slow in September, hitting just .200 in 14 games with one home run and 17 strikeouts. He’ll take a break with Nick Yorke moving from second base to right field, Nick Gonzales playing second base, and Cam Devanney in the lineup at third base.

With the Orioles starting left-hander Cade Povich, the Pirates will put Cruz and Spencer Horwitz on the bench while also giving a day off to Henry Davis and Cam Devanney. Joey Bart, Liover Peguero, Nick Yorke, and Alexander Canario will enter the starting lineup. Cruz is hitting just .200 on the season, but also has a .105/.233/.181 slash line against lefties, so there’s a strong argument that he should simply be a strong side platoon bat. That should drastically impact his fantasy value in 2026.