Pirates Select Billy Cook; Place Henry Davis On 10-Day Injured List

The Pirates announced today that theyve selected the contract of outfielder Billy Cook .

In a corresponding move, catcher Henry Davis was placed on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his left hand.

The clubs 40-man roster now stands at 39.

Additionally, the club announced that right-hander Domingo German has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A.

Cook, 25, was a tenth-round pick by the Orioles in the 2021 draft.

Cook was a relatively fast riser with the Orioles and made it to Triple-A earlier this year.

The outfielder performed admirably with a .279/.372/.485 slash line in 304 trips to the plate with the clubs affiliate in Norfolk.

Cook was dealt to the Pirates in a swap on the day of the trade deadline, with Pittsburgh sending minor league right-hander Patrick Reilly to Baltimore in exchange for Cooks services.

Since joining the Pirates organization, Cook has picked up right where he left off at Triple-A Indianapolis with a .276/.389/.486 slash line in 30 games.

Thats clearly enough for the clubs brass to decide the youngster ought to be given a shot in Pittsburgh.

Oneil Cruz s recent move to center field leaves the Pirates with regular starters at each outfield position for the moment, as Cruz is flanked by Bryan Reynolds and Bryan De La Cruz in the outfield corners while Connor Joe and Michael A.

Taylor both also mix in on a fairly regular basis.

Its an open question, then, whether Cook will be able to find much playing time on the clubs roster as things stand.

That being said, however, Cook also has experience at both first and second base that could allow him to find more playing time.

He could mix in alongside Joe and Rowdy Tellez at first base while also offering Nick Gonzales an occasional day off at the keystone.

Making room for Cook on the 40-man roster is Davis, the first overall pick from the 2021 draft.

The top prospect made his big league debut last year but has struggled to establish himself in the big leagues to this point in his career with a .191/.283/.307 slash line in 99 games across the past two seasons where hes split time between the outfield and catcher.

Now, hes headed to the injured list for the second time this year, following up a stint on the concussion IL back in June.

This time, Davis is dealing with hand inflammation, though the severity of the issue is not yet clear.

With the end of the regular season just three weeks away and the Pirates all but eliminated from playoff contention, a stint on the shelf that extends beyond the minimum ten days could spell the end of his season even if the issue isnt especially serious.

With Davis out of action, the club figures to rely on a tandem of Joey Bart and Yasmani Grandal behind the plate in the seasons final weeks.

As for German, the right-hander signed with the Pirates on a minor league deal earlier this year and made seven appearances for the club, two of which were starts.

Those outings did not go especially well, however, as German was lit up for 19 runs (18 earned) in just 20 2/3 innings of work.

In all, hes posted a 7.84 ERA, 6.13 FIP, and 18% strikeout rate during his time with the big league Pirates this year.

Now back in Triple-A, German figures to serve as non-roster depth for the clubs pitching staff for the remainder of the season before likely trying his luck in minor league free agency this winter.

This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission..

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