Pirates Bring Back Outfielder vs. Red Sox

The Pirates recently optioned Simon to Triple-A Indianapolis, after they ended the rehab assignment of center fielder Oneil Cruz and activated him from the concussion injured list on Aug. 26.

He played in two games with Indianapolis, with no hits in five at-bats, plus one walk and one stolen base.

The Pirates recalled Simon on Aug. 13 after they placed Cruz on the seven-day concussion list.

Simon played in seven games for the Pirates, starting four contests in right field and three contests in left field.

He slashed .233/.250/.267 for an OPS of .517 in those seven games, with seven hits in 30 at-bats, one double, two RBIs and one walk to eight strikeouts.

Simon had two hits in his debut, with two runs scored as well in the 12-5 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers in the series finale at American Family Field on Aug. 13.

He also had two hits in his last outing for the Pirates in their series opener vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Aug. 25, including an RBI-double in his final at-bat, tying the game at 6-6 in the top of the ninth inning.

Simon joined the Pirates on June 2, as they claimed him off of waivers from the Miami Marlins, who designated him for assignment the day prior.

He then played then with Indianapolis before his first call up, slashing .291/.386/.447 for an OPS of .833 in 52 games, 60 hits in 206 at-bats, nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBIs, 32 walks to 40 strikeouts and 24 stolen bases on 30 attempts.

Simon has played mostly in left field for Indianapolis, starting 35 of 36 games played there, but also right field too, with seven starts there.

He signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins in the offseason and starred with Triple-A Jacksonville early on this season, slashing .354/.441/.521 for an OPS of .962 in 15 games, with 17 hits, one double, two triples, a home run, nine RBIs and nine walks to 10 strikeouts.

The Marlins added him to the 40-man roster on April 20 and promoted him to the MLB for the first time. He made his debut on April 21 vs. the Cincinnati Reds at loanDepot Park, with an RBI-single for his first hit.

Simón moved around as a fielder, starting eight of nine games played at second base, playing one game at shortstop, starting three of six games in left field and four starts as designated hitter.

He made national news after making three errors in four innings at second base vs. the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 27. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough pulled Simón, who shed tears as he left the field and ran into the dugout.

The Pirates now have an outfield group of Alexander Canario, Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Bryan Reynolds, Simon and Jack Suwinski.