Pirates Outfielder Could Return Early From Injury
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are missing an important part of their outfield, but they could have it back in the near future.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke on the Pirates Insider Show about injured outfielder Jake Mangum and is confident that he won't be out for long.
Mangum went on the 10-day injured list retroactively on May 6 with a left hamstring strain, following them scratching him from the lineup in the series finale vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 7.
“Good thing is we’re optimistic Jake is going to be back on the shorter end of things," Cherington said. "He’s an important part of this team. He kind of finds himself almost into every game somehow and when he’s not active, it shows.”
What the Pirates Are Missing Without Mangum
The Pirates traded with the Tampa Bay Rays for Mangum this offseason, as a part of the deal that also brought in second baseman Brandon Lowe and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery.
Mangum has played as advertised from his rookie year with the Rays in 2025, as he's doing just a bit of everything for the Pirates so far.
He can play all three outfield spots and do so pretty effectively, starting 10 games and playing in 22 contests in left field, starting two game in center field and making four starts in right field, appearing in 28 of the Pirates 34 games prior to him missing that last game vs. Arizona.
Mangum is also somewhat of a pest on the basepaths, always looking to steal a base or score when it's possible.
He hasn't been amazing from the plate, slashing .260/.333/.288 for an OPS of .621, but he can get those rare infield singles, which he led baseball in 2025 with, and also lay down a bunt at any point.
Mangum may not provide much power, with no home runs this season and not many coming, but the Pirates now don't have a player that they can bring off the bench in any moment and give them what they need.
What the Pirates Outfield Looks Like Without Mangum
The Pirates still have their main outfield trio, with Bryan Reynolds in left field, Oneil Cruz in center field and Ryan O'Hearn in right field.
Pittsburgh has two players off the bench they can go to in Billy Cook and Nick Yorke, with Cook able to play all three outfield spots and Yorke a utility man that can play both corner outfield spots.
The issue with both players is that they've struggled from the plate, with Cook hitting .190 and Yorke hitting .205.
Pittsburgh would love to have either Cook or Yorke finally start producing from the plate, but as of now, they're looking for anyone who can provide some offense off the bench for a lineup that has hit well so far in 2026.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.