(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (37) delivers during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, on Feb. 25, 2025, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones will make his first MLB appearance since 2024 when he starts against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

Jones missed all of last season after injuring his elbow during spring training. He underwent internal brace surgery on May 21, 2025.

“Pretty damn cool,” Jones said Thursday. “It took a lot of time, 12 months, almost exactly, of not playing baseball. You kind of get a sense that you need it. That’s kind of what I’ve learned about myself over that time. I’m just extremely grateful to be back.”

The 24-year-old Jones made five rehab starts in the minor leagues, pitching 18 1/3 innings. As a rookie in 2024, Jones had a 6-8 record with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts.

Carmen Mlodzinski will be moved from the rotation to the bullpen. He is 4-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 11 games this season. He has a 2.63 ERA in 94 career relief appearances.

“We feel this gives the team the best chance to win in all areas,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “Carmen has done a nice job as a starter, and he can also fill that role in the bullpen, multiple innings. That’s a starting pitcher-ish, bulk, multi-inning high leverage guy out of the (bullpen).”

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Texas Rangers’ Andrew McCutchen flies out against Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jose Quintana in the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 18, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Former NL MVP outfielder Andrew McCutchen was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, after he hit .192 in his 37 games.

The 39-year-old McCutchen was replaced by free agent infielder Nicky Cruz in a move spurred by the lingering absences of shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Josh Smith. Seager is out with lower back inflammation, and Smith still hasn’t rejoined the team since a stint in the hospital with viral meningitis.

“Certainly respect to Andrew, what he’s accomplished, not only in this game, but more importantly, who he is as a person,” president of baseball operations Chris Young said. “It’s been wonderful having him around, but we’re at a point where given the injuries on the left side of the infield, middle infield specifically, that we’re thin and so Nicky gives us another option and provides some versatility.”

The Rangers had another setback with their middle infield when shortstop Ezequiel Duran exited Wednesday’s game against Houston after four innings due to an illness.

Lopez, who started at second base in the No. 9 spot against the Astros, moved to shortstop to replace Duran. Justin Foscue took over at second.

The 31-year-old Lopez, who signed a major league contract, has played in 693 big league games over parts of eight seasons with five teams. The left-handed hitter was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

McCutchen had two doubles, one home run and five RBIs with Texas, with 21 of his plate appearances coming as a pinch hitter. Those were the most at-bats as a pinch hitter for any MLB player this season.

The Rangers have seven days to trade, release or outright McCutchen to the minor leagues.

McCutchen played the past three seasons for Pittsburgh, the club that drafted him in the first round in 2005 and promoted him in 2009 for his major league debut. McCutchen played his first nine years in MLB with the Pirates, making five straight All-Star teams and winning the 2013 National League MVP award while becoming one of the most popular players in that franchise’s history.

He then bounced around with four other teams between 2018 and 2022 before reuniting with the Pirates. He played in 135 games last year, hitting .239 with 13 homers and 57 RBIs before becoming a free agent.

He is a career .271 hitter with 333 homers, 1,157 RBIs and 220 stolen bases in 2,299 games.

“I played against him during his MVP season,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I know who this guy is and I got to know him even better this year. Those are not easy, but part of the game. He was a pro and understood.”

Seager is doing moderate baseball activity, but there is no timeline for his return. The two-time World Series MVP, including with the Rangers in 2023, has been eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list since Monday.

Smith had been on the IL since May 5 with a right glute strain when the Rangers announced May 15 that the 28-year-old would be hospitalized at least a week after feeling ill and getting the diagnosis of meningitis. Young said Smith could rejoin the club Thursday.

“We’ll be able to evaluate where he is from a strength standpoint,” Young said. “The physical toll that it’s taking on him and what the buildup is going to be, I can’t answer yet. But he’s healthy. We’re very grateful to the doctors and the medical staff that treated him and took great care of him.”

(File Photo of a Past Ellwood City Wolverines Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, PA) Ellwood City baseball captured its first WPIAL Class 3A championship since 2012 with a 5-2 win over South Park yesterday at EQT Park in Washington, Pennsylvania.

The victory marked the third consecutive playoff game in which Ellwood City rallied from behind.

The team overcame deficits against Burrell in the quarterfinals and Riverside in the semifinals.

With the win, Ellwood City advances to the PIAA playoffs, where it will face the District VI runner-up between Phillipsburg-Osceola and Tyrone. The site and time of that matchup have yet to be determined.

The game will take place on Monday, June 1st.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ, top, rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Yohan Ramírez (49) during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ian Happ hit a tiebreaking three-run home run and drove in five runs on Wednesday night while playing in his hometown as the Chicago Cubs ended their 10-game losing streak with a 10-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Happ’s three-run shot snapped a 4-4 tie and started a six-run inning that helped the Cubs get their first win since May 15. Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto hit a two-run home run later in the inning to extend the lead to 10-4.

Happ also hit a two-run single in the first inning to open the scoring and has reached base in each of his last 40 games in Pittsburgh. He was one of five Cubs with two hits.

Brandon Lowe hit a three-run homer for the Pirates and rookie Konnor Griffin had a solo blast that drew the Pittsburgh into a 4-4 tie in the fourth inning.

Chicago is just the second team in major league history to have two 10-game winning streaks and a 10-game losing streak in the same season, along with the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jacob Webb (1-1) struck out the side in order in the sixth. Yohan Ramirez (2-2), who allowed Happ’s home run, was charged with four runs in 1/3 inning.

Neither starter factored in the decision as Cubs veteran Jameson Taillon and Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler both allowed four runs in five innings. Taillon has lost his four previous starts. Chandler has gone seven starts since his only win of the season.

Bryan Reynolds had three hits for the Pirates, who had won their previous three games.

Wednesday marked the 2,000th regular-season game played at PNC Park, which opened in 2001. The Pirates have a 1,003-996-1 record there.

Up next

Cubs RHP Colin Rea (4-3, 4.83 ERA) starts Thursday night against 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner RHP Paul Skenes (6-4, 3.00) in the finale of the four-game series.

(File Photo of a Past Ellwood City Wolverines Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, PA) Ellwood City baseball will face South Park in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game today.

First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at EQT Park in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Ellwood City earned its spot in the title game with a 6-5 win over Riverside on Thursday at Pullman Park in Butler.

Ellwood City will try to win its first district championship since 2012 when it defeated Riverside 9-7 for the 2A title.

(File Photo of the Blackhawk School District Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(California, PA) Blackhawk softball is back in the WPIAL Class 4A championship game for the second straight year and will face top-seeded Elizabeth Forward tomorrow. 

First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Lilley Field on the campus of PennWest California. 

Blackhawk won its first section championship since 2014 earlier this season. In the semifinals, it defeated section opponent North Catholic High School, a team it had lost to twice during the regular season. 

Blackhawk advanced Thursday with a 13-4 victory at North Allegheny High School. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Esmerlyn Valdez hits a two-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Jordan Wicks during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run home run to cap a five-run first inning on Tuesday night and the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the skidding Cubs 12-1 to extend Chicago’s losing streak to 10 games.

The rookie became the seventh player in Pirates’ history to hit two home runs within the first four games of his major league career and the first since Austin Meadows in 2018.

The Cubs are just the second team in major league history to have two 10-game winning streaks and one 10-game losing streak in the same season, joining the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

It is also the Cubs’ longest losing streak since 2022.

Braxton Ashcraft (4-3) allowed one run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out five and walking one. He is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts in May.

Valdez’s homer gave the Pirates a 5-0 lead after Bryan Reynolds hit a two-run double earlier in the first off Jordan Wicks (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday to bolster an injury-depleted rotation. Wicks was rocked for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Spencer Horwitz also homered for the Pirates, who won their third consecutive game. Oneil Cruz had three hits and Brandon Lowe, Reynolds, Nick Gonzales and Horwitz added two each. Valdez drove in three runs.

Konnor Griffin, a 20-year-old rookie shortstop, became the youngest leadoff hitter for the Pirates since 1952. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

The Cubs’ Alex Bregman and Carson Kelly had two hits each. Chicago went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners.

Up next

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-4, 5.20 ERA) faces rookie RHP Bubba Chandler (1-6, 4.60) on Wednesday night in the third game of the four-game series.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (71) is defended by Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Sanheim (6) during the third period of Game 5 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Pittsburgh, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin is going to get a chance to finish what he started in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins re-signed the franchise icon to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million on Tuesday, answering perhaps the club’s biggest offseason question before the offseason truly starts.

Malkin, who turns 40 in August, was set to become a free agent on July 1. The Russian had maintained for the past year-plus that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh rather than hit the open market for the first time in his career. General manager Kyle Dubas spent months declining to offer any specifics on the prospect of keeping Malkin around.

“It’s not easy for Kyle, maybe he wants new blood here,” Malkin said shortly after the Penguins’ bounce-back season ended with a Game 6 loss to rival Philadelphia in the opening round of the playoffs. “I understand business. I understand he wants maybe new team, see new faces here.”

Dubas didn’t tip his hand until recently, saying on May 12 that the Penguins would “love” to have Malkin back for a 21st and perhaps final season of a career that will almost certainly end with him entering the Hall of Fame.

While he missed 20 games because of an injury and another five to a late-season suspension for an illegal hit, Malkin finished with 19 goals and 42 assists in 56 games to help Pittsburgh return to the playoffs after a three-year absence.

And while Dubas has given the roster a significant overhaul and a needed influx of young talent since taking over in the summer of 2023, that talent is not ready to supplant Malkin on Pittsburgh’s second line.

“I don’t think he’s blocking anybody,” Dubas said earlier this month.

The signing means Malkin, and longtime running mates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are all under contract for next season. The trio has played 20 seasons together, the longest run by any three teammates in major North American professional sports history.

Malkin, the second overall pick in the 2004 draft, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and the 2012 Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player, acknowledged he was open to playing elsewhere next season.

It never came to that.

While Malkin will take a bit of a pay cut from the $6.1 million he made on the deal that expires on June 30, when healthy and engaged, he remains a dangerous offensive player. His strong start last fall helped fuel Pittsburgh’s return to contention under first-year head coach Dan Muse, and his 1.09 points per game tied Crosby for tops on the team.

Malkin’s 1,407 career points are second all time among Russian-born players, trailing only NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin. While Ovechkin’s future remains up in the air, Malkin’s now is not.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Getty Images: Caption for Photo: Jared Jones is nearing his return to the Pirates’ roster after he underwent elbow surgery last year.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates are still awaiting the return of starting pitcher Jared Jones from the injured list. 

Jones is currently on the 60-day injured list, but is eligible to be activated at any time. His return would require the Pirates to make corresponding roster moves, including optioning a player to the minors to make space on the 26-man roster and clearing space on the 40-man roster. 

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on The Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan that Jones is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today and that the team will evaluate his status afterward. 

If Jones is activated, manager Don Kelly would need to decide how he fits into the team’s five-man rotation, which currently includes 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Carmen Mlodzinski, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler. 

Jones most recently made his fifth rehab start — and second with Triple-A Indianapolis — throwing 4 1/3 innings Saturday against Toledo. He allowed three earned runs on two hits, including a solo home run, while walking three and striking out six over 76 pitches. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz scores a run on a RBI-double by Pittsburgh Pirates’ Brandon Lowe during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Henry Davis hit a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates sent the Chicago Cubs to their ninth straight loss with a 2-1 victory on Monday.

Davis turned on a 91 mph cutter from Cubs reliever Trent Thornton (2-1) and sent it well over the right-field fence for his fourth home run of the season.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen made it stand up. Wilber Dotel (1-0) tossed three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the victory. Gregory Soto worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save as the Pirates beat the Cubs for the third time in four tries so far this season.

Brandon Lowe had two hits for Pittsburgh, including an RBI double. Spencer Horwitz also had a pair of hits and a handful of excellent plays at first base, all of them against Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong. Horwitz was perfectly positioned to snatch a couple of line drives and then made a brilliant diving grab on a sharp grounder before tossing to Dotel covering first to rob Crow-Armstrong of a hit.

Michael Busch hit his sixth homer of the season for Chicago, but it wasn’t enough to halt a funk that is nearing three weeks. Chicago’s nine-game skid is the franchise’s longest since a 10-game slide in 2022. The Cubs have dropped 13 of 15 overall to fall into the middle of the pack in the hyper-competitive NL Central, where all five teams started Memorial Day above .500.

Cubs starter Ben Brown allowed one run and four hits over six innings with two walks and seven strikeouts, whittling his ERA to 2.01.

Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski — fighting hard to stay in the rotation as Jared Jones nears his return from elbow surgery — allowed one run over five innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

Up next

The series continues on Tuesday. Braxton Ashcraft (3-2, 2.89 ERA) starts for the Pirates.