Alika

Williams

No surprises here as Pittsburgh pares down its spring roster to just 42 players. The decision to jettison Delay leaves some combination of Joey Bart, Henry Davis and Endy Rodríguez as the likely season-opening catching mix behind the plate.

Williams went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week by the Pirates. The light-hitting 25-year-old shortstop will presumably stick around as emergency organizational depth, but he’s no longer on the club’s 40-man roster.

Williams loses his spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster following the addition of veteran lefty reliever Tim Mayza. The 25-year-old shortstop owns a lackluster .202/.257/.271 triple-slash line with zero homers and one steal in 208 plate appearances in the big leagues since 2023.

Williams is a fine defender at shortstop, but the bat just isn’t there. He was at .207/.242/.299 in 96 PA this year after coming in at .198/.270/.248 in 112 PA last season.

Williams is back in the big leagues ahead of Saturday’s game against the Mariners as extra bench depth for the Pirates with veteran Andrew McCutchen landing on the injured list with knee inflammation. The 25-year-old infielder has batted .202/.261/.525 with zero homers and one steal in 181 plate appearances in the majors over the last two years.

Williams was up briefly for the Pirates in the wake of Nick Gonzales hitting the injured list. The 25-year-old has been shipped out with veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) returning from the injured list to make his Pittsburgh debut.

Williams gets the call after the Pirates placed Nick Gonzales on the injured list with left groin discomfort. While with the team, Williams will serve as a utility role with the ability to play all over the infield.

Rather than carry the light-hitting Williams, the Pirates will go with Jared Triolo as their lone infield backup for now. The alternative was probably sending Jack Suwinski back to Triple-A.

The Pirates might send down Williams once the brief rehab assignment ends. He was hitting just .210/.234/.290 in 68 plate appearances before landing on the IL.

Williams will miss at least a week-plus while he recovers. The infielder’s spot on the active roster is taken by Quinn Priester, with Priester up to start Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays.