Pittsburgh Pirates’ Tsung-Che Cheng flies out to left field, in his first major league at-bat, during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated infielder Tsung-Che Cheng and outfielder Marco Luciano for assignment. The moves were made to create roster space for second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-hander Mason Montgomery, who were acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
Cheng made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 2025 and went hitless in seven at-bats across three games.
Once considered one of the Pirates’ better position-player prospects, Cheng had two straight subpar seasons in the minor leagues. The 24-year-old totaled 107 games with Triple-A Indianapolis this past year and hit .209 with a .578 OPS, 12 doubles, three triples, one home run, 36 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
The Pirates claimed Luciano off waivers from the San Francisco Giants earlier in the offseason. Luciano is former top prospect who has yet to carve out a role in the majors. In 41 games between 2023-24, he combined to slash .217/.286/.304 with eight doubles one triple and three RBI. The 24-year-old did not play in a game for the Giants in 2025.
The Pirates’ 40-man roster is at capacity.
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