Breakout Pitching Prospect Luis Ortiz to Make MLB Debut Tuesday

Right-hander Luis Ortiz, one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ breakout prospects of 2022, has been added to the taxi squad and is expected to make his major league debut Tuesday.

Ortiz is scheduled to start one of the two games of a doubleheader with the Reds in Cincinnati.

In two starts with Triple-A Indianapolis, Ortiz is 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA. The 23-year-old began the season at Double-A Altoona, going 5-9 with a 4.56 ERA in 24 games, including 23 starts.

Baseball America ranks Ortiz as the Pirates’ 22^nd-best prospect. He was not mentioned on any prospect lists coming into the season.

While Ortiz’s ERA isn’t good, his peripheral statistics are much better. He has allowed 104 hits in 124.1 innings this season with 138 strikeouts and 38 walks.

The Pirates signed Ortiz as an international amateur free agent in 2018 from the Dominican Republic.

The Pirates also recalled infielder Diego Castillo from Indianapolis in advance of Monday night’s game in Cincinnati and optioned infielder Hoy Park to the same club.

Castillo played in 84 games with the Pirates earlier this season and hit .201/.245/.368 with 10 home runs. In 35 games with Indianapolis, he had a .246/.331/.358 line with three homers.

Park has batted .216/.276/.373 with two homers in 23 games with the Pirates.