Only one player from the Pittsburgh Pirates saw action on Monday night around winter ball, as most teams had the day off. There was still big news from the Dominican Republic. Starling Marte was added to the active roster of Leones del Escogido. While he was eligible to play last night, the team announced on Monday afternoon that he would make his winter debut on Wednesday night.
Marte hasn’t played winter ball since the 2013-14 off-season. He joined Escogido in December of 2013 for the final few regular season games, then played for them in the round robin playoffs. A back injury cut short his winter that year and the Pirates haven’t allowed him to play since. Marte has tried to play each season since then, but the Pirates have placed him on the Extreme Fatigue list each winter. That list keeps players out of action for the first two months and requires permission from the parent club to play after that point.
This season is different though due to the lost time from his 80-game suspension. Now the Pirates want him to make up for some lost time. Marte hit .275/.333/.379 in 77 games this season for the Pirates, with seven home runs and 21 stolen bases. That .712 OPS was his lowest in six seasons in the majors.
Pablo Reyes went 0-for-4 on Monday. He is batting .200 through ten games, with six singles and four walks. He was the only player from the Pirates to see action.
While no date has been announced, both Jose Osuna and Elias Diaz are expected to join their team in Venezuela during the second half of November. Osuna will see time at third base this winter. We will keep you updated if a more specific date is announced.
