Pirates call up red-hot prospect Esmerlyn Valdez, start him in right field at Toronto

By: The Associated Press Posted: 5:45 PM CDT Friday, May. 22, 2026 Last Modified: 9:45 PM CDT Friday, May. 22, 2026

TORONTO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled prospect Esmerlyn Valdez from Triple-A Indianapolis after a recent hot streak and had him in the lineup in right field Friday night for their game at Toronto.

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Valdez was 0 for 3 with a groundout, two strikeouts and a walk in his major league debut, a 6-2 Pirates loss.

Valdez, 22, hit five home runs in the last five Triple-A games and was batting .355 with seven extra-base hits, 10 RBIs, a .903 slugging percentage and 1.315 OPS in his last eight.

FILE - Pittsburgh Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez plays during a spring training baseball game, Feb. 22, 2026, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

Valdez hit .253 with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 29 RBIs in 46 games with Indianapolis this season. He also has 33 walks.

The right-handed hitter is the organization’s No. 9 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He led Pittsburgh’s minor league system with 26 home runs last season and represented the club at the All-Star Futures Game.

Valdez was signed by Pittsburgh as a nondrafted free agent on Jan. 15, 2021.

Pittsburgh optioned outfielder Billy Cook to Indianapolis following Thursday’s game at St. Louis.