The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled Nick Yorke from Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 16 and sent him straight into the lineup at third base against the Boston Red Sox. He batted seventh in the series finale at PNC Park.
The move gave Pittsburgh a right-handed bat in a matchup that mattered. The Pirates were looking for help against left-handed pitching, and Yorke drew the start against Boston lefty Patrick Sandoval. Yorke also took the roster spot of Jack Brannigan, who was sent back to Indianapolis after not appearing in the past three games following his call-up.
That was not the only reason the Pirates made the switch. Nick Gonzales had recently taken a hit by pitch to the head in the Aug. 14 win over the Boston Red Sox, and while he did not suffer a concussion and was not on the injured list, the club still chose to be careful with one of its better hitters. Don Kelly did not want him out longer than necessary, and Ben Cherington said Yorke would give the Pirates some experience while giving Gonzales some time off.
The context is simple enough: Pittsburgh has not handled left-handed pitching well this season, going 11-26 against southpaw starters, and the team was 3-9 after the All-Star break. That made Aug. 16 less about routine roster churn and more about finding a workable answer for one game, one lineup spot and one vulnerable stretch of the schedule.
What is not clear yet is whether Yorke keeps the job beyond Saturday. For now, the Pirates have a right-handed option in place, Gonzales gets a breather, and Brannigan is back in Indianapolis until the next decision comes.
