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Nick Gonzales out weeks not days

Pirates GM discussed why Alika Williams got the 1st shot

Nick Gonzales rounding bases
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – He has been the Pirates most clutch hitter and Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said second baseman Nick Gonzales will be out weeks not days after suffering a groin injury during the game at Arizona on Saturday.

Gonzales led the Bucs with eight game-winning RBI hitting .258, .293 on base, .680 OPS with 13 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 39 RBI.


The first call to replace Gonzales was not Liover Peguero, the other second baseman who lost out on the job in Spring Training and leads the Indianapolis Indians with 56 RBI. Peguero is hitting .246 with a .695 OPS with 17 doubles and eight home runs in AAA. In 60 career MLB games, .239 average, .284 on-base percentage and .657 OPS.

Alika Williams, the 25-year-old who has played 69 career MLB games hitting .203, .257 on-base percentage and a .521 OPS got the call up. In 27 games in AAA this season, Williams was hitting .327 with 9 RBI and an .815 OPS.

Williams is the better defender, but Peguero has the much better power bat.

"Mostly because he had been playing the most consistent brand of baseball on both sides," Cherington said on 93.7 The Fan and the Pirates Radio Network. "Of course, he's been with the team for big stretches early in the season. We trust him. We trust him on the defensive side. We trust him to have a quality at bat. We trust that he was the best guy (Sunday)."

Cherington said Williams spot might be impacted by the expected return of Bryan Reynolds off the bereavement list on Monday in Houston. Recently recalled Ji Hwan Bae can also play second base.

The Pirates GM does believe Gonzales will play again this season.

"Certainly optimistic that he is going to come back and help us this year and play games, but it's going to be a while," Cherington said.

Pirates GM discussed why Alika Williams got the 1st shot