The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled Tyler Callihan from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday evening.
Callihan, a 25-year-old infielder/outfielder the Pirates acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in early March, was summoned to provide infield depth after rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin dealt with right forearm soreness and was left out of the starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs.
At the time of the recall Callihan had appeared in 49 games for Triple-A Indianapolis, hitting.223/.305/.346 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. The roster move came with a corresponding transaction: outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez was optioned back to Triple-A after making his MLB debut on May 22; through his first five big-league games Valdez was batting.125, and both of his hits so far had been home runs.
The Pirates used Callihan across the diamond in Indianapolis. He made 10 starts at second base, 19 at third base, 16 in left field and one in right. Callihan also carries brief big-league experience — he made his major-league debut for the Reds in 2025 and appeared in four games before being traded to Pittsburgh for reliever Kyle Nicolas in early March.
Callihan’s broader professional resume includes 445 career minor-league games with a.258 batting average and a 2019 third-round pedigree; he was a third-round pick by the Reds in the 2019 MLB Draft. The Pirates have described the move as a depth pickup, and the team’s internal prospect lists put Callihan among the club’s ranked prospects while Valdez sat higher on prospect boards heading into the season.
The situation exposes a pair of small-sample tensions the Pirates must manage this week. Griffin remained available to the club but did not start, leaving the roster to choose between short-term insurance and preserving a rookie recovering from forearm discomfort. At the same time, Valdez’s two early big-league homers — his only hits in five games — were not enough to keep him on the active roster, underscoring how roster decisions balance immediate power with matchup and depth needs.
For Callihan this is a straightforward opportunity: he arrives with defensive versatility across the infield and corners of the outfield and with enough Triple-A playing time to be ready for everyday contingency work. How the Pirates deploy him — whether as a late-inning defensive option, a platoon bat, or the next man up if Griffin’s soreness persists — will determine whether this recall becomes a short-term stopgap or the start of a longer look in the majors.
Callihan now joins a Pittsburgh bench that will test his ability to translate minor-league volume into major-league steadiness. If Griffin’s forearm issue forces more days off, the team’s decision to recall a 25-year-old with multi-position experience rather than hold onto a rookie slugger who had homered twice in limited action signals a preference for roster flexibility; the next week should show whether that preference pays off.
