Pirates announce first spring training cuts amid injury setbacks

Spring training roster cuts are usually routine housekeeping. Names come off the big-league board, players get reassigned, and camp moves one step closer to Opening Day clarity.

But the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first cuts of the spring come with a frustrating twist: both players involved are already dealing with injuries.

The Pirates optioned infielder Jack Brannigan and right-handed pitcher Ryan Harbin to Triple-A Indianapolis, trimming the major-league camp roster to 62 players (61 active, with Jared Jones on the 60-day IL). Normally, those moves would simply be part of the annual roster shuffle. Instead, they highlight the early injury challenges beginning to creep into the organization.

Pirates option Jack Brannigan, Ryan Harbin to Triple-A Indianapolis in first round of spring roster cuts

Brannigan’s situation is particularly unfortunate. The 24-year-old infielder has been sidelined since Feb. 22 after suffering a fractured nose when a bad hop struck him in the face during his Grapefruit League debut. It was a freak play that could happen to any infielder — the kind of moment where the lip of the grass meets the dirt and baseball suddenly becomes unpredictable.

The injury itself isn’t considered serious, but the timing couldn’t be worse. Brannigan already missed the final three months of the 2025 season while recovering from shoulder surgery, making this spring an important opportunity to reestablish himself. Instead of building momentum and showing the organization how he fits into their infield depth chart, he’s been stuck in recovery mode again.

The Pirates haven’t confirmed whether Brannigan will be ready for game action before the end of camp, meaning there’s a real chance he begins the season on Indianapolis’ 7-day injured list. For a player trying to regain rhythm after shoulder surgery, the lost at-bats are the bigger concern than the broken nose itself.

Harbin’s situation, meanwhile, was more expected. The right-hander suffered a tear to the teres major muscle in his throwing shoulder area early in camp, an injury that will keep him from resuming throwing until at least early April. Because of that timeline, his option to Triple-A Indianapolis was essentially procedural. Indianapolis will likely place him on its 7-day injured list before the International League season begins.

While Harbin wasn’t expected to break camp with the Pirates, he represented valuable pitching depth in a system that still leans heavily on young arms. In other words, this isn’t just about two players being reassigned. It’s about a pitcher and an infielder losing critical development time.

Spring training is supposed to be when players build momentum and compete for opportunities. For Brannigan and Harbin, the story of camp has instead become about healing. And in a Pirates organization still trying to turn prospect depth into big-league production, those lost weeks matter more than the roster cuts themselves.