Santana went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Friday's 7-5 win over the Cardinals.
The veteran switch hitter missed the Pirates' last three games due to back trouble, but he seemed 100 percent healthy in Friday's comeback victory. Santana hadn't had a multi-hit performance since May 4, however, so it's possible his back was an issue longer than he'd been letting on. Since the beginning of May, the 37-year-old is slashing just .193/.299/.301.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Returns to lineup
Rotowire
Santana (back) is starting at first base Friday against the Cardinals, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Santana was forced to miss three games after exiting Sunday's game against Seattle with back tightness, but the 37-year-old first baseman will return to action Friday. Santana has been struggling at the plate as of late, slashing .176/.288/.294 over the past three weeks.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Not yet ready to start
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Santana (back) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
He'll get a third consecutive game off while he contends with lumbar spine muscular tightness. Santana said earlier in the week that he expects to avoid a stint on the injured list, but the Pirates will likely wait until after Thursday's team off day before making a decision on his status one way or another.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Remains out Tuesday
Rotowire
Santana (back) is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Santana left Sunday's loss to the Mariners with a back injury, and while it's not expected to be a long-term issue, the veteran infielder will miss at least one more game while recovering. Connor Joe will be the first baseman in Santana's absence and hit third.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Expects to avoid IL
Rotowire
Santana (back) said Monday that he doesn't expect to go on the 10-day injured list, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Santana isn't in the lineup for Monday's series opener in San Francisco after his back injury forced him out of Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Mariners, but he said he's receiving more of a scheduled day off and hopes to be ready "in the next couple of days." The veteran first baseman has a .678 OPS with three home runs in 49 contests this season.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Sitting out with back injury
Rotowire
Santana (back) is absent from the lineup Monday in San Francisco, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Santana had to depart Sunday's game in Seattle with due to lumbar spine muscular tightness, so it's not a surprise he's not ready to play Monday. Connor Joe will be at first base.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Exits with injury
Rotowire
Santana was removed from Sunday's game against the Mariners due to lumbar spine muscular tightness, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Santana went 0-for-2 with a walk to begin Sunday's matchup, but he was replaced defensively in the bottom of the sixth inning. He's being examined and treated following his removal, and it's unclear whether he'll be available for Monday's series opener in San Francisco. If Santana is sidelined, Connor Joe could see increased time at first base with Ji-Man Choi (Achilles) still on the 60-day injured list.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Homers against old team
Rotowire
Santana went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 11-6 win over the Mariners.
Santana spent part of 2022 with the Mariners, launching 15 homers in 79 contests with the club. His power didn't follow him to Pittsburgh -- this was his third homer in 198 plate appearances as a Pirate, though he's maintained a near-everyday role at first base. He's shown some life lately by hitting safely in nine of his last 12 games, but he hasn't logged a multi-hit effort since May 4. Santana is slashing .234/.328/.368 with 24 RBI, five stolen bases, 20 runs scored and a solid, but still career-worst, 12.6 percent walk rate in 47 games this season.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Getting back on track
Rotowire
Santana went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored Wednesday against the Tigers.
Santana did his damage in the seventh inning, driving in a run with a double prior to also coming around to score. He entered Wednesday's game having collected only seven hits across 43 at-bats in May, though he now has a double in each of his last two games. Santana continues to bat in the heart of the Pirates' order, which has helped him rack up 22 RBI across 40 games on the campaign.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Swipes fourth bag
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Santana went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a steal in Sunday's loss against the Blue Jays.
Santana drove in Pittsburgh's lone run Sunday with an RBI single in the eighth inning. He also snagged his fourth stolen base of the year, swiping second on the backend of a double steal. The 37-year-old veteran is a perfect 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts this year after not attempting a steal in 131 games last season. While Santana shouldn't be counted on as a long-term speed threat, he's provided some value with the bat, slashing .263/.346/.407 with two homers, 14 runs scored and 20 RBI through 136 plate appearances this season.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Comeback effort falls short
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Santana went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI in Thursday's 3-2 loss against Tampa Bay.
Santana spearheaded the Pirates' ninth-inning rally, plating Tucupita Marcano and Bryan Reynolds with a double off Jason Adam to bring Pittsburgh to within a run. However, the first basemen would not advance past second base, as Connor Joe struck out to end any hopes of a Pirates victory. Santana is now up to 19 RBI on the season, despite only having two homers, and is tied for fourth in MLB with 11 doubles.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Piling up RBI
Rotowire
Santana went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI Friday against the Reds.
Santana doubled in an insurance run in the seventh inning with his only hit of the game. After a slow start to the season, he has at least one hit in 11 of his last 15 games. In that same span, he's homered twice, driven in 12 and scored eight runs all while hitting .304. Santana is locked into a near-everyday role as the Pirates' cleanup hitter.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Gets first off day Friday
Rotowire
Santana isn't starting Friday against the Cardinals.
After going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in Thursday's contest, Santana will enjoy his first off day of the season Friday. Ji-Man Choi will take over at first base, moving Andrew McCutchen into the DH spot and Canaan Smith-Njigba into right field to start and bat seventh.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Slugs second homer
Rotowire
Santana went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored Friday against the White Sox.
Santana started a big offensive day for the Pirates with a solo shot in the second inning off Lucas Giolito. It was Santana's second homer in as many games, though he still has only four hits across 27 at-bats on the season.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Swats first homer
Rotowire
Santana went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox.
The 36-year-old switch hitter put together a vintage performance as he displayed his patience while also launching his first homer as a Pirate. Santana hasn't hit above .214 in any of the last three seasons but has been able to maintain a solid OBP, and the early returns in Pittsburgh have been more of the same as he's gone 4-for-23 (.174) with a 3:6 BB:K in six games.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Slow start to season
Rotowire
Santana went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Tuesday against the Red Sox.
Santana has been in the lineup for all five of Pittsburgh's games to this point, though Tuesday marked his fourth hitless effort. He doesn't appear to be at risk of losing playing time right away, especially given that he has yet to be moved out of the cleanup spot. The Pirates have had a more stable lineup as compared to 2022, but if Santana continues to struggle, he could enter into more of a rotational role between first base and designated hitter.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Rejoins lineup Sunday
Rotowire
Santana (knee) is starting at first base and batting cleanup in Sunday's spring game versus the Orioles.
Santana exited Thursday's Grapefruit League game with left knee discomfort, but he's back in the lineup Sunday after requiring only a couple days off. The veteran slugger had a .692 OPS in 131 games last year, and he is expected to split playing time between first base and designated hitter with Ji-Man Choi this season.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Goes through full workout
Rotowire
Santana (knee) was able to go through a full workout Friday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Santana had to depart Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees due to left knee discomfort, but it sounds like he'll be fine. Expect the veteran first baseman/designated hitter to return to action within a few days.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Suffering from knee discomfort
Rotowire
Santana was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees due to left knee discomfort, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Santana slipped on the infield grass while attempting to field a flyball and was removed from the game immediately. He's still undergoing testing on the injury, so it's unclear if he'll be forced to miss additional time. If Santana misses any regular-season contests, Connor Joe is a potential beneficiary.
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Pirates' Carlos Santana: Exits game early
Rotowire
Santana exited the Pirates' spring game against the Yankees on Thursday after slipping on the infield grass trying to catch a pop-up, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Santana appeared to be in quite a bit of pain as a trainer helped him off the field. The Pirates will take a look at him and should provide additional updates shortly.
