There was a ton of questioning going on yesterday when the Pirates played both games of a double header without having Henry Davis even make an appearance.
As it turned out, Davis couldn’t. This morning, the team placed him on the 10-Day Injured List, retroactive to an injury suffered Thursday. In his place, however, we finally get to see the long awaited arrival of Billy Cook, who got his first call to the major leagues in Davis’ absence.
Cook has been one half of the new two-headed monster down in the farm in Indianapolis. Between him and Nick Yorke, both young bats that were acquired at the trade deadline in separate deals, the Indians’ offense has surged.
Yorke is every bit as deserving as Cook is to be getting an extended look as the season wraps up, but Cook is the first one to get the promotion.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington struck a deal with the Baltimore Orioles back on July 30th for right-handed pitching prospect Patrick Reilly. Cook had been slashing .279/.372/.485 with 11 homers and 43 RBI in 70 Triple-A games for Baltimore’s affiliate in Norfolk.
He was slashing .276/.389/.486 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games for the Indians prior to his call up, having played in all three outfield positions and at first base.
In his first game with the Pirates, Pittsburgh played him at first base, where he got a chance to show off some of his defensive work in his very first big league inning.
But he wasted no time showing what he can do with the bat as well. In his very first at-bat in the majors, Cook smacked a book rule double down the left field line that brought in a pair of runs and extended the Pirates’ lead to 4-1.
Cook was 2-for-4 on the day, also knocking a single into the outfield in the eighth inning.
It was a really encouraging performance from somebody who could play a big part in Pittsburgh’s future. Gaps in the outfield and at first base are some of this team’s biggest question marks heading into the season. Cook just so happens to play both, and his range in defensive experience would allow him to be a utility player for the Pirates.
There’s a lot to like about this kid, and chances are if he is going to show promise of being a viable major leaguer, it’s right now. Cook is 25 years old, and will turn 26 before the start of next season. The time for his next steps are right now, and the Pirates are expected to be giving Cook a lengthy look down the stretch.
If he can really show something here in September, he would be a serious contender for a roster spot in 2025. He will be very interesting to watch in the next few weeks, even if the team as a whole is not.
(Featured photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
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