Pittsburgh Pirates: Rehab Stints Going Well for Colin Moran, Phillip Evans

Thus far, the rehab assignments for key Pittsburgh Pirates hitters Colin Moran and Phillip Evans have gone well with Triple-A Indianapolis

Entering the 2021 season the Pittsburgh Pirates were expected to have a poor offense. A big reason for this was not due to the top of their lineup but due to the lack of length in their lineup. Thus far in 2021, this has proven to be the case.

Adam Frazier and Bryan Reynolds have been two of the best hitters in the National League through the first two months of the season. Ke’Bryan Hayes has also picked up where he left off at last season, but prior to Thursday night’s win he had played in just two games this season due to ah and injury.

In addition to Hayes, the Pittsburgh Pirates had also experienced two other key injuries to their lineup. Colin Moran, like Hayes, was building off his strong 2020 season before landing on the injured list in early May. Shortly after Moran hit the IL, utility man Phillip Evans, who was also having a career season, hit the IL.

Both Moran and Evans are closing in on retiring to the Pirate lineup. This led to each of them beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis earlier this week. Thus far, both Moran and Eans have found success during their rehab stints.

Prior to hitting the IL the left-handed hitting Moran was well on his way to justifying his 2020 season as a true breakout and not a flash in the pan. Through 122 plate appearances Moran was hitting for .297/.352/.468 slash line to go with a 126 wRC+ and an isolated slugging (ISO) of .171.

Making his second rehab start with the Indianapolis Indians, Moran hit a 2-run home run on Thursday night. This came in a game in which he went 1-for-3 after he went 0-for-2 in his first rehab start.

The runner who scored on Moran’s home run? That was Evans. Starting at third base, Evans went 1-for-3 for Indianapolis on Thursday night. Evans is now 2-for-5 through the first two games of his rehab stint.

Ben Cherington has stated that he does not believe Moran and Evans will have long rehab stints. With both of them seeing the ball well thus far with Indianapolis, it appears that both Moran and Evans could return to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the end of the current homestand. Hopefully, the Pirate lineup will get a dual boost in the arm soon.