Pirates Designate Johnathan Rodríguez for Assignment

The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez for assignment, allowing for the reinstatement of Oneil Cruz from the 60-day injured list.

Rodríguez, who is 26 years old, has not played in a major league game for the Pirates since being acquired from the Orioles in a cash transaction last month. He has performed well in Triple-A, achieving a .351 batting average with a .424 on-base percentage and a .509 slugging percentage over 15 games.

Despite his minor league success, Rodríguez has struggled in the majors, hitting .177 with a 31.8% strikeout rate in 132 plate appearances. He is in his final option season, meaning he will be out of options next year. Following the trade deadline, he cannot be traded again and will need to be placed on waivers.