The Pittsburgh Pirates will recall No. 18 prospect Billy Cook to replace Bryan Reynolds, who will go on paternity leave. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com was first with the news.
Source: Billy Cook will be joining the Pirates today.
The organization’s No. 18 prospect (per @MLBPipeline) has hit .458 in the month of June with Triple-A Indianapolis.
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) June 18, 2025
Pirates Call Up Cook as Reynolds Goes On Paternity List
The Pirates acquired Cook, a right-handed-hitting outfielder/first baseman, from the Boston Red Sox under the wire at last year’s trade deadline. At the time, Cook was one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball, albeit at Triple-A Tidewater. During July of last year, he hit .389/.436/.778 before the Pirates picked him up. He hit .276/.389/.486 for Triple-A Indianapolis before the Pirates called him up on September 8. In his first exposure to the major leagues, Cook was 11-for-49 with three home runs.
After an uninspiring 2025 spring when he was just 4-for-25, Cook was returned to Indianapolis. He got off to a slow start there and was hitting just .213/.295/.271 at the end of May. However, he caught fire in June. In 48 at-bats in June, he hit .458/.536/.542 with four doubles and six RBI. This included eight multi-hit games during these 17 days, with an astounding four-game stretch when he was 10-for-16. He joins Pittsburgh after a 3-for-5 night in Columbus.
Cook, 26, will join the Pirates in Detroit in time for Wednesday evening’s game. Reynolds is expected to be out at least through Thursday. As the move has not been officially announced by the Pirates as of this writing, it’s unknown how manager Don Kelly plans to use Cook. But with the Tigers sending left-hander Tarik Skubal and his 1.99 ERA to the mound, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cook in the lineup in right field. The Pirates’ other right-handed-hitting outfield options, Tommy Pham and Alexander Canario, have been underwhelming. The Pirates continue to be the worst-hitting team in the National League, entering Wednesday, hitting .224/.301/.334. They should welcome any spark Cook can provide.
The Last Word
Pirates fans have been clamoring to see Cook or fellow prospect Nick Yorke, in the hopes that it would mean the release of the unpopular Pham. While it’s unlikely the Pirates would waive Pham and his $4 million contract, if Cook continues to put up numbers that are hard to ignore during Reynolds’s absence, one never knows what the fallout will be once Reynolds returns.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
