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Dodgers face the Pirates, home of Rich Hill, José Hernandez, and Drew Maggi

Pittsburgh Pirates v Colorado Rockies Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Old friend Rich Hill won’t face the Dodgers during the three-game series at PNC Park that begins Tuesday night. But there are a few Pirates with history in the Dodgers minor leagues that might see time during this series.

Hill won his second straight start on Saturday, striking out seven in five innings, allowing one run against the Reds. The 43-year-old Hill is the oldest player in the majors, now in his 19th season. The Pirates are Hill’s 12th major league team, putting the left-hander only two teams shy of Edwin Jackson’s major league record.

Dodgers vs. Pirates

Team Dodgers Pirates
Team Dodgers Pirates
Record 12-11 16-7
Runs scored 5.26 (5th) 4.83 (10th)
Runs allowed 4.43 (17th) 3.74 (6th)
Run diff. +19 +25
wRC+ 114 107
ERA+ 103 122

Pittsburgh only has two left-handed pitchers on the active roster — Hill, and rookie reliever José Hernandez, the latter selected from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 Draft in December.

Hernandez has pitched well so far, allowing only one run in eight innings in his six games, with six strikeouts and a walk. He’s faced almost all right-handed batters — 27 of his 32 batters faced — but is holding them to hitting just .269/.298/.308 to date.

He’s also been used in by far the lowest-leverage situations in the Pirates bullpen, entering when Pittsburgh was down four runs, up three, down seven, down five, down seven, and ahead 11. Hernandez last pitched on April 17.

If Drew Maggi makes his major league debut, it might come against the Dodgers this week at PNC Park. The utility infielder, three weeks shy of his 34th birthday, got the call to the majors on Sunday from Double-A. The video of the news was shared by the Pirates and went viral.

Maggi has played 1,155 minor league games in 13 seasons, including playing shortstop, third base, and second base in the Dodgers system in 2016-17 for Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Maggi also got called up to the majors in mid-September 2021 but somehow didn’t get into a game for the already-eliminated Twins in the two days he was active.

“I always believed this moment would come,” Maggi said Sunday, per the Associated Press. “There was a little bit of me that was like, ‘You know what? You love playing baseball. Keep going no matter what.’ Crazy things happen in this game. So I’m very thankful that I’m here and that I get to enjoy this. I’m excited for the day.”