Pirates' Mangum Debuts, Cruz Battles Lefties

0:00It's March 28th. I'm Corey with The Story, and this is MLB News today, your AI-powered baseball briefing. Pittsburgh pirates kicking off their season with a twist against the New York Mets at City Field on March 28th. StarCenterFielder O'Neal Crews sits out the lineup, with new guy Jake Mangum stepping in for his debut, batting Knife. Earlier this week on opening day March 26, Crews had a rough one in center against the Mets. He misjudged a bases clearing triple and dropped a ball in the sun without shades, letting in four runs early. That sank starter Paul Skins in his shortest outing yet, dropping a close 11-7 decision. Manager Don Kelly explained, its matchup driven, facing lefty David Peterson on the mound. He shuffled the lineup to plug in Mangum and another righty, while chatting with Crews about sharpening up after Thursday's slip-ups. Crews has battled left-handed pitching career long, slashing just 102 over 224 over 176 last season for a week OPS.

1:01Mangum, a switch hitter, crushes South Pauls at 279 with a solid 650 OPS, making him the smart play here. Kelly sees Crews' offseason grind against lefties, and wants him facing them daily to lock down that everyday role. Pirates building depth early, testing who rises in these key spots.