The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled Tyler Callihan from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday evening, giving the club another infield option as Konnor Griffin dealt with right forearm soreness and sat out of the starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates also optioned outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez back to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Callihan, 25, joined Pittsburgh in early March when the Pirates acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds for reliever Kyle Nicolas. MLB Pipeline had ranked Callihan as the Pirates’ No. 29 prospect, and he has already seen the majors once, making his big-league debut for Cincinnati in 2025 and appearing in four games.
At the time of his recall, Callihan had played 49 games for Indianapolis and was hitting.223/.305/.346 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. The club used him all over the field in the minors, starting him 10 times at second base, 19 times at third base, 16 times in left field and once in right field. That kind of flexibility is exactly what Pittsburgh was after as it looked for infield depth on Thursday.
Callihan entered the Pirates' system as a third-round pick by the Reds in the 2019 MLB Draft and has now logged 445 career minor-league games with a.258 batting average. His path to Pittsburgh has been gradual, but the organization has kept him in the mix as a utility option capable of moving around the diamond when needed.
The move came at a moment when the Pirates had to juggle both caution and opportunity. Griffin remained available, but his soreness changed the lineup picture for the night. Valdez, meanwhile, was sent back after a brief major league stay that began on May 22, when the Pirates’ No. 9 prospect made his debut and quickly supplied power, going 2-for-5 in his first five games with both hits leaving the park.
For Pittsburgh, the roster shuffle was less about ceremony than coverage. Callihan’s recall gives the Pirates a player with experience at multiple positions and a bat that has already been tested in the high minors, while Valdez goes back to Indianapolis after getting a first taste of the majors. The next question is how long Callihan stays if Griffin’s soreness lingers and whether Pittsburgh continues to lean on that kind of versatility as the season moves forward.
