Jared Triolo didn’t know which position he would be playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates nor did he seem to care. Triolo was just happy to be healthy and back in the home clubhouse.
“Always itching to get back. Don’t like being down,” Triolo said. “But yeah, I feel like this perfect timing. It went really well. The body feels good, the swing feels good and moving around on defense feels good.”
The Pirates ended Triolo’s rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list Saturday. To make room on the active roster, infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Pirates manager Don Kelly said he was “pumped” to have Triolo back even though it came at the expense of Yorke, who batted .221 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs in 23 games.
“That was a tough decision with Nick Yorke,” Kelly said. “He did a really good job while he was up. We talked about at spring training how we’re going to have some tough decisions to make when it comes to the roster.
“We think Nick Yorke is going to be an everyday player in the big leagues. Nick Gonzales is swinging it, and Tri provides a lot of versatility, Gold Glove defense and feel like it’s beneficial for Nick Yorke to be down in Triple-A playing every day, ready to for the next opportunity because inevitably there will be one and for him to be ready to step into that.”
Triolo batted .385 (5 for 13) in three games at Double-A Altoona, including a three-hit performance that featured a three-run home run in his first game for the Curve. He previously had played in two games at Low-A Bradenton, where he went 0 for 3 with two walks and a stolen base. The final hurdle was playing in back-to-back games.
“It was good,” Triolo said. “We were ahead of schedule, so that made me happy.”
Triolo, who won a National League Gold Glove as a utility fielder in 2024 and was a finalist last year, provides the Pirates with positional versatility as he can play every infield spot. He was placed on the injured list on April 5 after suffering a partially torn patellar tendon in his right knee while rounding third base in the home opener.
Pirates manager Don Kelly said that Triolo could split time at third base with Gonzales, who is batting a team-best .333 with 15 RBIs, and could spell Griffin at shortstop and play first base, if needed.
“We’re going to have to figure that out as we go,” Kelly said. “Gonzo has done a great job offensively and he’s gotten better defensively. Just finding ways to get them both in. That was a challenge with Nick Yorke, too. If Nick Yorke is here, how do we find time for all three of them was going to be really challenging.”
After batting .273/.353/.422 with 12 doubles, two triples, four homers and 14 RBIs over his final 52 games last season, Triolo won the starting shortstop job in spring training. He started five of the first six games there before moving to third base for the home opener, when rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin made his MLB debut. Triolo batted .217 (5 for 23) with a double, an RBI, two walks, a hit by pitch and two runs scored in the six games before his injury.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be 50-50,” Kelly said of the split at third base. “As we go, we’ll figure out what that rhythm looks like. … We have a lot of different options. Hopefully, Tri swings it like he did at the end of last year and makes it even more difficult to figure out.”