Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Fri 7/8/22 5:41 PM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Newman (groin) was activated from the 60-day injured list Friday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
The 28-year-old began the season as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop but has been sidelined since late April with a strained groin, and prospect Oneil Cruz was promoted and claimed the starting role in his absence. Newman is expected to fill a utility role now that he's healthy and should see most of his playing time at second base and shortstop. He hit .250/.308/.375 with eight RBI, four runs and a stolen base in 14 games prior to the injury.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Mon 7/4/22 11:00 AM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Newman (groin/hamstring) will see time at both shortstop and second base once he's ready to return from the 60-day injured list, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
EDGE Analysis
Newman served as Pittsburgh's primary shortstop in 2021 and opened the current season atop the depth chart at the position before landing on the IL in late April with a left groin strain. He then suffering a hamstring injury during his initial rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis in late May, resulting in his timeline for a return being pushed back. Newman restarted the minor-league assignment June 21 and has slashed .419/.424/.484 in his eight games with Indianapolis, likely setting him up to rejoin the big club this week. He'll be joining a Pirates club that has prioritized younger options in recent weeks, most notably installing hotshot rookie Oneil Cruz as its full-time shortstop. Though Cherington indicated Cruz "doesn't need to be at shortstop every day," the expectation is that the 28-year-old Newman will have to settle for more of a utility role while Cruz continues to see the bulk of the starts at shortstop.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Mon 6/20/22 4:25 PM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Newman (groin/hamstring) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
Newman is one of three injured Pirates position players who will kick off his rehab assignment at Indianapolis this week, with first baseman/designated hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo (back) and infielder Josh VanMeter (finger) set to join him. Prior to landing on the injured list, both Newman and VanMeter were holding down regular roles in the middle infield, but both could have to settle for reserve duties upon their respective returns. Top prospect Oneil Cruz was called up from Indianapolis on Monday and should serve as the Pirates' everyday shortstop moving forward, likely leaving Newman and VanMeter to vie for time at the keystone with a pair of rookies -- Diego Castillo and Tucupita Marcano (illness) -- once they're activated from the IL.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Wed 6/15/22 9:13 PM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Newman (groin/hamstring) has progressed in his recovery and will be considered for a rehab assignment within the next five days, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The 28-year-old has been participating in all baseball activities without pain for at least a week, and he's now on the cusp of a minor-league rehab assignment. Newman was on the injured list for a month with the groin injury when he suffered a hamstring injury in late May, so he'll likely require at least a handful of games in the minors to get back up to speed.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Wed 6/8/22 12:03 PM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Newman (groin) is pain-free with all baseball activities, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Newman resumed running Sunday and continues to build up while participating in all baseball activities. The 28-year-old isn't eligible to return from the 60-day IL until June 26, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him begin a rehab assignment in the coming weeks prior to rejoining the major-league club.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Sun 6/5/22 2:45 PM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Newman (groin) has started running Sunday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
EDGE Analysis
He is eligible to return June 26 and it seems like that could be achievable. The Pirates have deserving young middle-infield options in Diego Castillo and Tucupita Marcano, so it remains to be seen how much Newman will play once healthy.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Wed 5/25/22 11:51 AM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Newman (groin/hamstring) hasn't yet resumed baseball activities, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Newman suffered a hamstring-related setback during a rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list Monday. The 28-year-old isn't eligible to return until at least late June following Monday's transaction, and he's received treatment since suffering his setback. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to resume baseball activities.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Mon 5/23/22 3:30 PM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Newman (groin/hamstring) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Monday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Newman has been sidelined since late April due to a groin injury, and he recently suffered a hamstring-related setback during a rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis. The 28-year-old's setback is apparently relatively significant, as he'll now be unavailable until at least late June. A better idea of his return timetable should come into focus once he's cleared for another rehab stint. Rodolfo Castro has been serving as the Pirates' primary shortstop in Newman's absence.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Sun 5/22/22 11:05 AM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Newman (groin) suffered a hamstring-related setback during the infielder's rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Newman most recently played for Indianapolis on Friday, when he presumably experienced hamstring pain that Cherington notes is unrelated to the strained left groin that first sent him to the injured list in late April. Cherington added that the hamstring issue is on the minor side for Newman, but the 28-year-old looks like he'll be held out of action for at least a few days before restarting his rehab assignment. Fantasy managers should probably plan on him missing at least another week.
Kevin Newman 1B/2B/SS LAA Tue 5/17/22 1:21 PM
Kevin Newman
1B/2B/SS LAA
Newman (groin) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
After incorporating running workouts into his regimen of baseball activities late last week, Newman showed enough progress in his recovery from the left groin strain to advance to the final stage of his rehab program. He'll most likely play in at least two games at Indianapolis before potentially rejoining the Pirates for the start of their homestand Friday. Once activated from the 10-day injured list, Newman should settle back in as the Pirates' everyday shortstop, leaving Rodolfo Castro and Diego Castillo to battle Josh VanMeter for playing time at second base.