CINCINNATI - The Pittsburgh Pirates start their next series against the Cincinnati Reds with one young player getting a chance to prove himself.
The Pirates have rookie outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia batting ninth and playing in center field for the second straight game in their series opener vs. the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Garcia came back to the Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis ahead of their series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park on July 29, starting in center field and batting eighth in the 3-0 loss.
It's a big opportunity for Garcia and one that the Pirates have faith he can take advantage of at a crucial stage of the season.
Garcia joined the Pirates this offseason in a five-player trade with the Boston Red Sox , with right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo going the other way.
He brought a promise of a right-handed power bat , with 20+ home runs in each of the past two seasons in the minor leagues, and also excelling in Spring Training, batting .405/.463/.595 for an OPS of 1.058.
Mar 1, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Jhostynxon Garcia (34) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Garcia had a back injury that held him out early on in 2026, but he hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in his first game back with Indianapolis on May 12.
The Pirates brought Garcia up on May 19 for the first time, but he struggled from the plate, slashing .200/.243/.229 for an OPS of .472 in 13 games with seven hits in 35 at-bats, one double, no home runs, two RBI and one walk to 10 strikeouts.
Garcia went back down to Triple-A on June 7 and had a great month of July, batting .347/.427/.514 for an OPS of .941, with 25 hits in 72 at-bats, 13 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI, eight walks to 11 strikeouts and four stolen bases.
Pirates manager Don Kelly, who liked what he saw from Garcia in Spring Training , still believes they can get that power from his promising right-handed hitter and that they need his defensive versatility in the outfield.
"Good at-bats and we know he can play really good defense," Kelly said pregame. "I don't know if anyone was here for the early BP, but it was pretty impressive the way he was swinging the bat. Line drives all over and the power that he's got is really good and just want to see him relax, be himself and continue to do what he was doing down in Indianapolis."
| Player |
Position |
Batting |
|---|---|---|
| Left Field |
Switch |
|
| Second Base |
Left |
|
| Designated Hitter |
Switch |
|
| Esmerlyn Valdez |
Right Field |
Right |
| Ryan O'Hearn |
First Base |
Left |
| Third Base |
Right |
|
| Endy Rodrguez |
Catcher |
Switch |
| Jacob Gonzalez |
Shortstop |
Left |
| Jhostynxon Garcia |
Center Fielder |
Right |
The Pirates made four lineup changes from their loss to the Diamondbacks, as they faced left-handed starting pitcher Eduardor Rodrguez in that one and will face Reds right-handed pitcher Rhett Loweder in this game.
Jake Mangum returns to the lineup after a day off, but will start in left field, as Bryan Reynolds takes over at designated hitter.
Jul 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum (28) runs to third base on a triple against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jacob Gonzalez comes in at shortstop for Jared Triolo and Endy Rodrguez starts at catcher for Henry Davis , with both Gonzalez and Rodrguez hitting left-handed vs. Lowder.
The Pirates had great success against Lowder in their last game against him, driving in eight runs in just 1.1 innings on May 2 at PNC Park, and will look to get their offense going again vs. the Reds.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/pirates/onsi as Pirates Putting Faith into Rookie Outfielder Ahead of Reds Series .
