Pirates Send Infielder Down to Minors

Peguero re-joined the Pirates on July 18, coming up as the replacement for Adam Frazier, who they traded to the Kansas City Royals on July 16 for infielder Cam Devanney.

He played in 29 games for the Pirates during this recent 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. He was the first

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.

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 this season, once each at second base on May 6 and shortstop on May 7 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals on the road, then at shortstop vs. the Atlanta Braves on May 11. He also came in to play shorstop vs. the Braves on May 10 after an in-game injury to center fielder Oneil Cruz changed the dynamics of the team.

He played in 24 games with Indianapolis this season before Pittsburgh recalled him, 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.

Peguero went back to Triple-A once 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 following his demotion.

He slashed .200/.273/.363 for an OPS of .636 in 33 games this season with the Pirates.

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

He 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 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.

The Pirates now have an infield consisting of Devanney, Flores, Horwitz, Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo and Yorke.