The Pirates will promote outfielder Alex Presley and infielder Chase D'Arnaud on Thursday, the Post-Gazette reports. Well, technically, "activate" is the right word, since they were both on rehab assignments. But Presley's, in particular, could have ended a lot sooner, with non-hitting backup outfielder Xavier Paul hitting the road.
↵It's not that Paul isn't vaguely functional. It's that the Pirates badly need Presley's bat - or, at least, they need the bat he provided when he was with them last time, when he posted an .896 OPS. The Pirates have been starved for offensive upside for some time, and Presley offers the organization's best chance to provide it.
↵It appears the organization will make an announcement on Thursday, at which point they'll likely also say who will be demoted. In the meantime, Presley and D'Arnaud will head to St. Louis.
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