Pirates Injury Update: Jake Mangum timeline, Joey Bart uncertainty, Chris Devenski

Jake Mangum’s absence appears set to be a short one for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, Mangum has resumed all baseball activities and is expected to continue ramping up the intensity of his running. If all goes well, the outfielder could return as soon as Saturday, the first day he’s eligible to be activated from the 10-day injured list.

Mangum was scratched from last Thursday’s lineup shortly before first pitch with what initially appeared to be minor hamstring discomfort. Further testing later confirmed the injury was a strain, prompting the Pirates to place him on the IL and recall Nick Yorke from Triple-A Indianapolis to help fill out the bench.

The encouraging timeline is good news for a Pirates team that has leaned heavily on Mangum’s energy and versatility early this season. Beyond his ability to play all over the outfield, Mangum has quickly become one of the emotional sparks of the clubhouse, fitting seamlessly into Pittsburgh’s “hoist the cone” culture while consistently providing quality at-bats and aggressive baserunning.

Pirates Injury Update: Joey Bart undergoing treatment, return timeline remains unclear

The Pirates still do not have a clear timeline for Joey Bart’s return after the catcher was placed on the 10-day injured list with a foot infection earlier this week.

Tomczyk said Thursday that the club is continuing to monitor how Bart responds to treatment, particularly the IV antibiotics he’s currently receiving.

“Still to be determined,” Tomczyk said regarding a possible return date. “Hopefully it’s sooner than later, but too soon to even make a projection right now.”

According to Tomczyk, the injury did not occur during a game or baseball activity. Bart reportedly noticed swelling and discoloration in his foot before alerting head athletic trainer Luke Novosel, leading to further evaluation and treatment.

“Unfortunately, this happens in professional sports settings, when they’re always sweating and they’re in and around dirt,” Tomczyk explained.

The timing is unfortunate for Bart, who had started to show signs of offensive progress before landing on the IL. Over his last six games, the 29-year-old was batting .400 and beginning to provide more consistent production at the plate. On the season, Bart owns a .259/.290/.379 slash line with two home runs and six RBIs across 21 games.

Pirates Injury Update: Chris Devenski makes encouraging progress in recovery from mystery illness

Pirates reliever Chris Devenski also appears to be making progress in his recovery from an undisclosed illness. Tomczyk said Thursday that Devenski has resumed all baseball activities and is trending in a positive direction as he works toward a return to the major league bullpen.

Tomczyk added that Devenski remains under the care of local physicians in Pittsburgh and still has several medical appointments scheduled over the next few days and into early next week. However, the early signs following his bullpen session were encouraging.

The 34-year-old veteran began the season in the minor leagues before the Pirates selected his contract in late April to help reinforce their bullpen depth. Devenski has appeared in three games for Pittsburgh this season, posting a 7.71 ERA.

While there is still no official timetable for his return, the Pirates appear optimistic that Devenski is moving closer to rejoining the club.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow