The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of infielder Davis Wendzel from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 7, 2026, optioning outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and transferring reliever Chris Devenski to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot.
Wendzel arrives with a clear statistical case from Triple-A: in 211 plate appearances this season at Indianapolis he hit.246/.360/.491 with nine home runs and a 123 wRC+. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates in December 2025, was a non-roster invite to spring training, and has been at least average in Triple-A since 2024. His big-league experience is limited — Wendzel appeared in 27 games for the Rangers in 2024 and had six hits in 49 major-league plate appearances.
The move immediately alters Pittsburgh’s bench picture. Wendzel adds a second backup infielder who can play third base and shortstop, positions the club has been juggling while Konnor Griffin is sidelined. The opening for Wendzel came when the Pirates optioned Garcia, who had been recalled on May 19 and appeared in 13 games, hitting.200/.243/.229 in 37 plate appearances and carrying a 32 wRC+ in the majors this year after missing about a month with a back injury in mid-April.
Roster mechanics drove the timing. Devenski, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 7 following a two-game suspension, was transferred to the 60-day IL with the move backdated to that original placement. The transfer cleared the 40-man space needed for Wendzel. Devenski said he "can return during the July 7-9 home series against the Braves if he is ready," leaving open the possibility that the roster could shift again in early July.
The upgrade on paper does not erase immediate questions. Pittsburgh’s regular third baseman, Nick Gonzales, has produced a 115 wRC+ in 238 plate appearances, but the club’s shortstop coverage has been problematic: Jared Triolo, filling in for the injured Griffin, has a 57 wRC+ in 2026 and is credited with -6 Defensive Runs Saved over 588 2/3 career innings at shortstop. Promoting Wendzel — a player with strong Triple-A numbers but just 49 career MLB plate appearances before this season — is a gamble born of necessity.
That gamble is the friction point in the move. Wendzel offers pop and on-base skills at Triple-A, but he is unproven in extended major-league duty. The Pirates have shown they value the depth: Wendzel’s ability to handle both the hot corner and shortstop gives manager and roster architects options they lacked when Griffin went down. Yet how much the club will actually rely on Wendzel, particularly at shortstop where Triolo has struggled, is far from settled.
What comes next hinges on health and performance. If Devenski is available in July, the bullpen picture may shift and the club could reconfigure bench roles; if Triolo’s struggles continue, Wendzel could be asked to pick up meaningful innings sooner than his limited big-league track record might suggest. The single most consequential unanswered question remains whether the Pirates will entrust major-league starts at third base or shortstop to Davis Wendzel after promoting a player whose Triple-A résumé has yet to be matched in the majors.
