The Pittsburgh Pirates have purchased the contract of outfielder Danny Ortiz and called him up for tonight’s game against the Miami Marlins. To make room on the active roster, third baseman David Freese was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Freese hasn’t played since April 24th. He has been out with right hamstring soreness. He is hitting .321/.418/.536 in 18 games. The move was made retroactive to April 26th, so Freese will be available to come off the disabled list a week from today.
Ortiz has played minor league ball since 2008, beginning his career with the Minnesota Twins, before signing with the Pirates as a minor league free agent last year. He has never played in the majors. The 27-year-old lefty hitter/thrower has 351 games of Triple-A experience. Over his minor league career, he’s a .257/.300/.422 hitter, with 91 homers. He hit a career-high 17 homers in 2015, then matched that mark with Indianapolis last year.
Ortiz is a strong defender in center field and has shown that he can handle both corner outfield spots. He has decent speed, though it plays up in the outfield due to quick jumps and strong routes. This winter, he won the batting title in Puerto Rican winter ball with a .340 mark. Ortiz played 25 games this Spring Training for the Pirates, hitting .314/.327/.392 in 51 at-bats.