04/28/26 Mirror photograph by Patrick Waksmunski /
Curve’s Jared Triolo watches the ball go foul.
For the primary time in 4 years after Thursday’s recreation, Jared Triolo had simply performed a recreation for the Altoona Curve that began at 11 a.m.
The morning first pitch is widespread within the minor leagues earlier than college lets out for the summer time, because it’s in style for college students to soak up a baseball recreation for area journeys.
It was a recreation that was an ideal instance of what a minor league profession might be in a nutshell. An early begin time changed into an 11-inning recreation, and it lasted for greater than 4 hours.
Luckily for Triolo, it was a minor league profession that solely lasted about 4 years when he was known as as much as the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023, though he did have a cup of espresso in Indianapolis final yr when he was optioned.
Triolo, who was a member of the 2022 group, is predicted to be in Altoona by the weekend as he’s on a rehab project for the Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Triolo mirrored on his time with the Curve 4 years in the past, and seen among the renovations that the clubhouse and surrounding areas underwent in 2023. There is a brand new girls’s locker room, a brand new visiting coaches locker room, a brand new weight room, a video room, assembly rooms, kitchen areas and larger coaching rooms.
“There were a lot of good teammates from that year,” Triolo mentioned. “The facilities here are a lot nicer than when I was here, but it’s the same atmosphere and it’s a good time.”
The 2022 group additionally featured present Pirates in former No. 1 general choose Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales and Carmen Mlodzinski. Several others are within the large leagues elsewhere. Endy Rodriguez can be nonetheless within the Pirates’ system in AAA Indianapolis.
Triolo is rehabbing a proper patellar tendon damage that was suffered throughout the Pirates’ residence opener on April 3. Through six video games, he was hitting .217 in 23 at-bats earlier than the damage.
Triolo opened his rehab project with two video games in Class A Bradenton final weekend and spent a day in Pittsburgh with the large membership on Monday earlier than reporting to Altoona on Tuesday. He homered on Tuesday as a part of a three-hit day, however the outcomes are secondary in terms of rehab assignments.
“You just have to get your feet back under you and get confident in your body and the things that have been hurting,” Triolo mentioned. “You have to get ready to come up and produce whenever you’re done.”
Altoona began off the season in one of the depressing methods attainable at 0-12 earlier than lastly getting a win. Ever since then, the group has been taking part in higher baseball, profitable six of their final 10 going into Friday.
“There’s some good players on this team,” Triolo mentioned. “A handful of them I’ve played with in spring training games. It’s good to see them and play with them.”
Triolo was primarily a 3rd baseman when arising by the minor leagues however began to play a number of positions when he acquired to Pittsburgh. The Pirates believed in his glove work, and it resulted in him being awarded with a Gold Glove as a utilityman in 2024.
While there could also be some panic going round Pirates followers after the most recent five-game skid heading into Friday, Triolo requested followers to stay with them.
Pittsburgh sat at .500 (16-16) heading into this weekend’s collection with the Reds.
“It’s a long season,” Triolo mentioned. “There’s going to be ups and downs. We were grooving there for a minute. Hopefully, we can get back to that soon.”