Notes: Tucker recalled; Tom (left wrist) to IL

Instead of joining the alternate training site squad at the end of Spring Training, Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker decided to stick back at the Pirate City complex in Bradenton, Fla., to iron out things in his game.

Now, the Pirates’ infielder will have an opportunity to see how far that process has come. Tucker was recalled on Friday as a corresponding move to the placement of Ka’ai Tom on the injured list with a left wrist contusion.

Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk alluded to Tom experiencing some left wrist discomfort in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Cardinals. Tom was replaced by Ben Gamel in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s game after going 0-for-3.

Tom is the fourth Pirates everyday option on the injured list among their position player group. Colin Moran (groin) and Phillip Evans (hamstring) are on the 10-day IL, while Ke’Bryan Hayes (wrist) is on the back end of his 60-day IL stint.

A former Top 30 prospect for the Pirates, Tucker was left off the Opening Day roster before taking some time in Florida for what manager Derek Shelton called “skills development,” though he declined to specify what those skills were. General manager Ben Cherington said in April that the work was “particularly on the offensive side” for Tucker, who posted a .527 OPS in 37 games with the Pirates last season.

“I give Cole a ton of credit,” Shelton said. “It’s not easy to go, ‘Hey, we’re going to go and work on some things in Bradenton during Minor League Spring Training when we have an alt site going on.’ But the willingness to identify some things and work on them down there, I give him a ton of credit, and we’re starting to see signs of those things really blossoming.”

Those signs were somewhat clear on Thursday, as Tucker was a homer shy of the cycle for the Indians in a 7-3 win at St. Paul. The performance bumped his line up to .214/.302/.339 with three doubles and two triples in 14 games. Time will tell if the changes he’s made with his swing will stick at the Major League level, but he’s a solid defender and should provide depth in the middle infield -- and outfield, if need be -- off the bench.

“I think we’re going to use him as an infielder, but his versatility helps us if we need him to go to the outfield,” Shelton said. “I think we’ll see how the game kind of takes it.”

Gonzales to IL
No. 2 prospect Nick Gonzales was placed on the seven-day injured list at High-A Greensboro on Friday with a right pinky finger injury, the Pirates announced.

The club says Gonzales sustained the injury in the Grasshoppers’ 8-5 win on Wednesday. The specific diagnosis is a fracture to the digit’s volar plate, which helps connect bone to bone. Per the Pirates, Gonzales is projected to miss 4-6 weeks before resuming full baseball activities.

The second baseman has gotten off to a blistering start to his pro career, hitting .294/.368/.549 with seven doubles and two home runs in 13 games. Gonzales, the No. 33 prospect in baseball, is seen as the best pure hitter in the Pirates’ system.

First baseman Will Matthiessen, who had six RBIs with two doubles and a homer for Low-A Bradenton on Thursday night, was assigned to Greensboro.

Vázquez found guilty
Former Pirates closer Felipe Vázquez was found guilty Thursday of statutory sexual assault, among other charges. Vázquez was acquitted on 10 counts related to sexually explicit text messages and media shared between him and an underage girl.

The other charges for which Vázquez was found guilty by a Westmoreland County, Pa., jury included unlawful contact or communication with a minor, indecent assault and corruption of a minor.

Vázquez is currently on the Pirates’ restricted list -- which includes players who are out of organized baseball but not free agents -- as he has been since Sept. 17, 2019, when he was arrested. He will be sentenced in three months.