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Pirates Beat D-backs, Rookie Valdez Injured by Fastball

7/28/2026

28 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Valdez Injured

Esmerlyn Valdez (Pirates rookie outfielder) left Monday night after a 92 mph fastball from Merrill Kelly (Diamondbacks starter) struck his left wrist.
Valdez, 22, was batting .290/.386/.702 with 14 home runs, 36 RBIs and a 1.084 OPS in 38 games.
Brandon Lowe (Pirates second baseman) said the team was praying for Valdez.
The loss comes as Pittsburgh pursues a wild-card spot before Aug. 3.

Summary

Lowe Wins

Brandon Lowe hit the game-winning RBI single in the tenth as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 27, 2026.
Max Kepler’s two-run double in the sixth and Bryan Reynolds’ RBI double in the eighth came as starters Merrill Kelly and Mitch Keller took the mound with the trade deadline a week away.
The win left Pittsburgh one game behind Arizona for the final NL wild-card spot and tied Washington.

History

Historical Context

In 1994, acting commissioner Bud Selig halted the season after a players’ strike, preventing the first wild-card playoff that had been added with the new three-division format. The Pittsburgh Pirates finished 53-61 and missed the unrealized wild-card, a setback echoed in 2026 as the club chases a spot while rookie catcher Esmerlyn Valdez suffered a 92-mph fastball injury from Merrill Kelly.

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Valdez Injured

Esmerlyn Valdez (Pirates rookie outfielder) left Monday night after a 92 mph fastball from Merrill Kelly (Diamondbacks starter) struck his left wrist.
Valdez, 22, was batting .290/.386/.702 with 14 home runs, 36 RBIs and a 1.084 OPS in 38 games.
Brandon Lowe (Pirates second baseman) said the team was praying for Valdez.
The loss comes as Pittsburgh pursues a wild-card spot before Aug. 3.

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