The Pirates have sent outfielder Jose Tabata to Triple-A Indianapolis and have recalled Gorkys Hernandez. The Pirates have been upset with his play as of late and finally sent him down to Indy to regain his footing. Dejan Kovacevic of the Trib spoke to a “high-ranking Pirates official” yesterday and it was discussed that “Jose Tabata had better get his act together immediately or he’s headed for the minors. The team is — and should be — livid with his lackluster effort.”
Tabata hit .230/.295/.341 with 3 HR and 11 RBI in 72 games. As of late, he’s had trouble squaring up the ball and has taken poor routes to fly balls, which can be worked on at Triple-A.
Hernandez appeared in nine games for the Pirates this season, after being called up on May 18th and sent down on June 5th. Gorkys was 2 for 10 at the plate with two runs batted in. He started just one game- a 3-1 loss to the Mets on May 23rd in which he went 0 for 4. He was used mostly as a defensive replacement, and will likely do the same during this stint.
There was talk that Starling Marte could be brought up for Tabata, but that was not the case. Kovacevic noted that the official spoke of how “it will not be long before Starling Marte is in Pittsburgh.” The official said, ”It’s time.” This got many fans pumped up and ready for him to come up to the big leagues. Starling even played right field for Indianapolis last night, since he will likely start at a corner spot when he is recalled. Marte also enjoyed his eighth consecutive multi-hit game on Monday night. Still, the Pirates want him to get some more action at Triple-A before bringing him up.
