Bad News for Pirates Regarding Holderman and Gonzales

Pirates Place Holderman on IL

Gonzales to 60-Day IL

In what foreshadowed the disaster that this Pirates season was to become, second baseman Nick Gonzales hit a home run on Opening Day – and promptly suffered a “nondisplaced fracture of the left ankle” while rounding the bases, landing him on the IL. He had just begun a rehab assignment at Indianapolis, during which he went 0-for-6 in two games. There’s no word on what prompted this latest development on his injury status. It’s bad news for an anemic offense that hoped to get a jolt from the return of Gonzales and Spencer Horwitz. The former No. 1 draft choice has hit .256/.300/.392, 10 HR, and 64 RBI in three major league seasons.

Up With Mattson

Mattson, like Holderman a right-hander, has seven major league appearances under his belt, four with the Baltimore Orioles in 2021 and three with the Pirates last year. These amounted to 9 2/3 innings where he gave up six earned runs. Of 46 batters faced, he’s walked 10 and hit another. It’s gone better for him in Indianapolis this season. He’s allowed five earned runs in 18 innings pitched. His control problems appear to be behind him. He walked five of his 72 batters faced in Triple-A. Pittsburgh baseball fans might better remember Mattson as a pitcher for Pitt from 2015-17. In three seasons competing in the ACC, he was 4-1 with a 3.47 ERA in 60 games, including one start.