The Bucs made a move before Sunday’s game with the Los Angeles Angels, recalling switch-hitting outfielder Ronny Simon and optioning infielder Nick Yorke to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Simon has only played in 9 games at the big-league level this season, but he’s hitting .290 over just 34 plate attempts. He did not get to play in the Angles series.
Simon was tearing up the International League, however, leading the league with a .344 average and also second overall with 33 doubles. Simon also hit 7 homers,
knocked in 72 RBIs and stole a whopping 35 bases. He was also second on the league with a .426 on-base percentage. Suffice it to say, the 26-year-old Simon earned the call up.
Yorke has played 40 games with the Pirates this season, hitting just .212 with 1 homer and 12 RBIs. He had just 3 hits in his last 10 games played for the Bucs. The 24-year-old Yorke is in his third season with the Pirates. He hit .232 last season and then .216 before that.
As for the Pirates, they are coming off of a series win against the Angels and have battled back to within two games of .500 at 71-73. They are certainly playing a bit better of late, yet still stand 5.5 games back of the Wild Card. Playoffs are not an impossibility. Only unlikely.
The Bucs are back in action tonight after taking off Labor Day, when they will return to action for the thre-game series with the Chicago White Sox. The Sox are currently leading their division, so this will be no easy series for the Bucs, but if they can keep it rolling, they can at least finish strong regardless of their playoff status.
