It didn't seem noteworthy at first when the Pirates scratched Jared Triolo from the lineup with a lower back injury Sunday against the Yankees, but it has since been confirmed that he will be missing a chunk of time. He has hit the 10-day injured list, and the Pirates are promoting one of their top-ranked prospects to take his place.
According to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, the Pirates are promoting infield prospect Tsung-Che Cheng to make his Major League debut. According to MLB Pipeline, Cheng is Pittsburgh's 17th-ranked prospect after falling from 9th in 2024. He slumped last season, but brings a contact bat with versatility from the left side of the plate. Cheng being a shortstop gives the Pirates more depth at that position as well.
The Pirates have yet to announce whether Cheng will be in the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals, but it's possible he could get the start at shortstop if manager Derek Shelton wants to give Isiah Kiner-Falefa a day off.
Pirates promote Tsung-Che Cheng, place Jared Triolo on the injured list.
Cheng is coming off a very strong spring training where he batted .353 (6-for-17) with a home run and two doubles. He has only played five games so far for Triple-A Indianapolis and has struggled, going 1-14 at the plate with six strikeouts.
Back in 2024, Cheng posted a wRC+ of 99 with 11 home runs and a .677 OPS. He also stole 17 bases and struck out at a 23% clip. His ability to steal bases is valuable to this early strategy from the Pirates, but if he struggles to get on base, it could turn into another Ji-Hwan Bae situation.
Cheng has played everywhere in the infield, aside from first base. His fielding was graded a 65, which is his best tool all around.
Hopefully Cheng can be productive enough to help a struggling Pirates offense. The 23-year-old has been around the organization since the 2019 international signing period and finally joins the team in Pittsburgh. Let's see what this homegrown prospect can do!
More Pirates content from Rum Bunter