Pittsburgh Pirates: Vince Velasquez Close to Returning, Other Minor League Notes

May 4, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA;  Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Vince Velasquez (27)
May 4, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Vince Velasquez (27) / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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Henry Davis does it again

In a game cut short due to rain, the Double-A Altoona Curve improved to 18-18 on the season with a 6-4 victory over the Bowie Baysox. Lefty Braeden Ogle pitched a scoreless 1st inning for Altoona, then righty Justin Meis allowed 4 runs on eight hits and three strikeouts in 4 innings pitched. That was it for Altoona pitchers on Saturday.

Henry Davis once again led the way for the Altoona offense. Playing in right field, Davis went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run. The home run Davis hit was an absolute moonshot, giving him 10 home runs on the season.

At this point there is zero reason for Davis to remain in the minors. The no. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Davis now owns a .311/.463/.660 slash line to go with a 201 wRC+, .349 isolated slugging (ISO), and both an 18.4% walk and strikeout rate. He's collected 16 extra base hits, which includes his 10 home runs. It's time for Davis to be promoted to the majors.

Shortstop Liover Peguero also remained hot for the Curve. Peguero was 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs, giving him 4 on the season, and three RBI. With his recent hot streak at the plate Peguero now has a .276/.353/.455 slash line, 10.7% walk rate, 18.0% strikeout rate, 123 wRC+ and 11 stolen bases in 150 plate appearances.