The Pirates selected a right fielder Cam Sanders on assignment, and moved to shortstop Connor Griffin from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Both are rocking clear roster spots Jacob Gonzalez again Brandon Eisertreceived yesterday from the White Sox.
After making his MLB debut by posting an 8.10 ERA over 6 2/3 innings in 2025, things haven’t improved for Sanders in his second year in the big leagues. The righty has an 8.68 ERA over 9 1/3 innings and nine appearances, with an even higher walk rate in 2026 (20.8%) than in 2025 (14.7%).
Sanders’ strikeout rate has at least increased from 11.8% in his first season to 27.1% this year. This is largely consistent with his performance in the minor leagues, although Sanders did not show much control in eight seasons in the Cubs and Pirates farm systems. The 29-year-old has a 5.04 ERA, 29.35K%, and 18.18BB% over 223 Triple-A innings.
The DFA comes a day after Sanders was optioned to Triple-A for the fifth time this season, making him expendable in the Pirates’ eyes. This is the first time Sanders has been selected for assignment and has never been fired in the past, so he will have to accept a Triple-A assignment if he clears waivers. A waiver claim is out of the question if another team is interested in Sanders’ hitting ability, but there is a good chance Sanders will remain in the Pittsburgh organization.
It was only a matter of time before Griffin was moved to the 60-day IL, as the shortstop is expected to miss 8-10 weeks with a torn finger tendon. The 60-day layoff means Griffin is out until the first week of September at the earliest.
