Bringing the Heat: Luis Ortiz Selected by Pittsburgh

INDIANAPOLIS – The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz, their No. 30 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He has been added to Pittsburgh’s active roster as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader at Cincinnati and is scheduled to start in the nightcap. He will be the 10th Indianapolis Indian from the 2022 squad to make his MLB debut this season and the fifth pitcher following Cam Alldred, Yerry De Los Santos, Beau Sulser and Cam Vieaux.

Ortiz, 23, has turned heads with his upper-90s fastball that is capable of reaching triple digits. In 26 games (25 starts) between Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis, he is 5-9 with a 4.56 ERA (63er/124.1ip), 138 strikeouts, 1.14 WHIP and .227 average against (104-for-458). His 138 strikeouts this season is a career high and ranks second in Pittsburgh’s farm system behind only Jared Jones (142). Prior to his promotion to Indianapolis on Sept. 1, Ortiz ranked among Eastern League leaders in average against (3rd, .238), games started (T-3rd, 23), strikeouts (4th, 126), WHIP (4th, 1.17), innings pitched (4th, 114.1) and ERA (8th, 4.64).

Last Thursday in his second outing with Indy, Ortiz struck out nine and surrendered two unearned runs in 6.0 no-hit innings. His nine-strikeout performance earned him International League Pitcher of the Week honors and was just one punchout shy of his season-high 10, which he registered over 5.0 innings in his final start with Altoona on Aug. 26 at Bowie.

Ortiz was signed by Pittsburgh as a non-drafted free agent on Oct. 2, 2018.

Indianapolis’ first-time callups are presented by Franciscan Health