The Pittsburgh Pirates placed infielder Kevin Newman on the 10-day injured list on Sunday. They recalled outfielder Jason Martin to take his spot. Newman was hit by a 97-MPH fastball on his left knee in the ninth inning of last night’s game and needed to be helped off the field. It’s officially listed as a contusion to the peroneal nerve of his left knee. With only eight days remaining in the 2020 season, Newman is done for the year.
Newman had a rough 2020 season, hitting .224/.281/.276 in 44 games, with five doubles, one homer and no stolen bases. He posted a -0.6 WAR, with -0.2 coming from his defense. In his first full season in 2019, Newman had an .800 OPS, with 16 stolen base and league average defense, resulting in 3.1 WAR.
Martin is now with the Pirates for the fifth time this season. He was last with the team on Friday for the doubleheader as the 29th man. He is 0-for-9 with two walks and two runs scored in seven games.
