Pirates claim rival utility player, reveal 2 injury updates in roster shuffle

The Pittsburgh Pirates' offense has been one of the worst all-around units in MLB, ranking dead last in runs scored. Although it is not an excuse to justify the way the roster was constructed, there have been so many injuries affecting what the team is capable of.

Recently, Enmanuel Valdez hurt his shoulder and will now be placed on the 60-day injured list. The team has also claimed Michael Helman from the Cardinals to take his place on the 40-man roster.

Helman made his major leauge debut in 2024 with the Twins and went 3-for-10 at the plate with two doubles. His promotion was following a solid season in Triple-A, where began 2025 with St. Louis. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, his production hasn't exactly been that great to begin this season.

With Memphis, Helman was batting .185 (12-for-65) with a home run and five RBI. His 50 wRC+ was downright terrible, and his 21.9% strikeout rate didn't help matters.

He is likely to be optioned to Indianapolis first as the Indians just lost Malcom Nunez to the injured list on May 11. Additionally, Spencer Horwitz is likely to join the Pirates soon, so bringing Helman to the big leagues does not exactly make much sense just yet.

Valdez was placed on the injured list May 8 with shoulder inflammation, but now he is heading to the 60-day after getting a second opinion. That is evidently bad news for the infielder who had a .657 OPS with an 83 wRC+.

Pirates News: Endy Rodriguez set to begin rehab assignment with Indianapolis

Endy Rodriguez had not been with the Pirates since suffering a laceration on his finger that required stitches. That was a little over a month ago, and he'll now head to Indianapolis to begin his rehab assignment. Rodriguez was struggling at the plate before his injury, posting a 44 wRC+ with a .504 OPS.

When Rodriguez returns, he will likely replace Henry Davis on the big league roster. Davis has not gotten regular playing time, but when he has, his offense has been worse then Rodriguez's. He got his chance once Joey Bart was dealing with some back trouble, but with Rodriguez fully healthy, Davis will likely go right back down to Triple-A.

Now that the Pirates are starting to get healthier, they'll have fewer excuses in their quest to turn things around. They are 15 games below .500, but getting some of these bats in Rodriguez, Horwitz, and even Nick Gonzales, who is getting closer too, could help at least lift the quality of play.