Pirates Infielder Playing in Dominican Winter League

Peguero didn't have a hit in three at-bats, but walked and then hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning, tying the game at 3-3, before Licey won 4-3 on walk-off wild pitch.

What to Expect From the Dominican Winter League

The Dominican Winter League, or the Dominican Professional Baseball League or Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana (LIDOM), in Spanish, started its season on Oct. 15.

Six teams play in this league, also featuring Aguilas Cibaenas, Estrellas Orientales, Gigantes del Cibao and Toros del Este.

All the teams play 50 games, which goes through to Dec. 23, with each team playing each other 10 times. The top four teams then play each other from the end of December through January, six times each for an 18-game schedule. The two best teams then play in a best of nine-series, with the first team to five games comes out as Champion.

Tigers del Licey is the most successful team with 24 titles, but Leones del Escogido won it most recently last season.

Liover Peguero's 2025 Season for the Pirates

Peguero started his season with Triple-A Indianapolis, slashing .258/.309/.382 for an OPS of .691 in 24 games, with 23 hits in 89 at-bats, six doubles, a triple, a home run, 12 RBIs and seven walks to 16 strikeouts.

Pittsburgh first recalled Peguero on May 2, as they needed infield help when shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa went on the 10-day injured list with lower body discomfort.

Peguero made three starts for the Pirates, before going back down to Triple-A after Kiner-Falefa came back off the injured list. He slashed .247/.314/.367 for an OPS of .681in 48 games, with 41 hits in 166 at-bats, eight doubles, four home runs, 24 RBIs and 17 walks to 41 strikeouts with Indianapolis.

The Pirates then recalled Peguero on July 18 after the All-Star break and two days after they traded Adam Frazier to the Kansas City Royals for infielder Cam Devanney on July 16.

He played in 29 games for the Pirates during his second stint, slashing .197/.269/.380 for an OPS of .650, with 14 hits in 71 at-bats, a double, four home runs, eight RBIs, four stolen bases and six walks to 22 strikeouts.

Peguero started seven games and played nine contests at first base, regularly serving as the right-handed batter for an opposing left-handed pitcher, with Pirates manager Don Kelly putting him there in place of left-handed hitting first baseman Spencer Horwtiz.

He also made four starts at second base, as well as 10 starts and 14 appearances at shortstop during this stint with the Pirates.

Peguero had the best game of his career in the 8-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Aug. 2, as he hit three home runs, totaling all five runs in the defeat for the Pirates.

The Pirates brought up rookie Nick Yorke from Indianapolis on Sept. 1, as one of the two extra September call-ups, and Yorke took over as the right-handed hitting first baseman for Horwitz, plus the utility man role that Peguero had.

Devanney also got more playing time at third base and shortstop, which led the Pirates to dropping Peguero to Triple-A on Sept. 16, as they brought up catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores.

Peguero finished his 2025 season, slashing .200/.273/.363 for an OPS of .635 in 33 games, 16 hits in 80 at-bats, a double, four home runs, eight RBIs and six walks to 25 strikeouts.

Liover Peguero's History with the Pirates

He hails from Higüey in the Dominican Republic and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent in July 2017.

Peguero played with the Dominican Summer League Diamondbacks and the Arizona League Diamondbacks in 2018 and then the Missoula Paddleheads of the Pioneer Leagues and the Hillsboro Hops in the Class A Short Season in 2019.

The Diamondbacks traded Peguero and right-handed pitcher Brennan Malone to the Pirates for outfielder Starling Marte on Jan. 27, 2020.

Peguero wouldn't play in the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the minor league season.

He earned an invite to Pirates Spring Training and spent the 2021 season with the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers, slashing .270/.332/.444 for an OPS of .776 in 90 games, with 101 hits, 19 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 45 RBIs, 33 walks to 105 strikeouts and 28 steals.

Peguero then moved up to Double-A Altoona for the 2022 season, where he slashed .259/.305/.387 for an OPS of .692 in 121 games, with 125 hit, 22 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, 58 RBIs, 29 walks to 111 strikeouts and 28 steals.

He also made his MLB debut on June 17, 2022 against the San Francisco Giants, getting his first big league hit.

Peguero spent most of the start of the 2023 season with Altoona, before playing seven games with Indianapolis and then having the Pirates recall him on July 17, keeping him at the MLB level for the rest of the campaign.

He slashed .237/.280/.374 for an OPS of .654 in 59 games, with 47 hits, four doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 26 RBIs, 11 walks to 67 strikeouts and six stolen bases.

Peguero only played three games with the Pirates in 2024, as he played 128 contests with Indianapolis, slashing .257/.319/.410 for an OPS of .729, amassing 127 hits, 29 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 79 RBIs, 46 walks to 139 strikeouts and 14 stolen bases.