The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled Hunter Barco on Wednesday, one of three roster moves that also brought back pitcher Noah Murdock and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia. For Garcia, it was another crack at staying in MLB.
He was in the Pirates' Wednesday afternoon lineup batting eighth against Eduardo Rodriguez, a sign the club was not waiting around to ease him back in. Garcia had already played 13 MLB games earlier this season, going 7-for-35 with a double, and he had five games with Boston last season, when he went 1-for-7. Wednesday was simply the next chance to turn that small sample into something longer-lasting.
The move landed on a day when the Pirates were still in the National League wild card mix, which gives every roster call extra weight. Hunter Barco's recall fits that push for depth, even if the club did not say publicly what role he was being brought in to fill. That uncertainty is part of the story: the Pirates made room for more arms, but left the question of how they plan to use Barco unanswered.
Garcia’s return had a clearer trail. He spent 58 games with Triple-A Indianapolis this season and hit.270 with 11 doubles and seven home runs, numbers that helped him earn another look. He also came into Wednesday with a different kind of history attached to him: he was originally a Red Sox international signing in July 2019 and was moved in the offseason as part of the trade that brought Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox.
That makes Garcia’s call-up more than a routine transaction. He has already been through MLB once this season and once last season, and the Pirates are still treating him like a player who might stick if the timing is right. The next step is whether that eighth spot in the lineup turns into something larger, or whether Wednesday becomes just another brief stop on the way back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
