Wilmer Difo - MLB News, Rumors, & Updates

Reassigned to minor-league camp Difo was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Yankees on Saturday.

Impact With the infield depth available for the Yankees, it was a long shot for Difo to make the Opening Day roster. The infielder will likely head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the 2023 season.

MARCH 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Yankees announce spring training non-roster invitees OF Willie Calhoun, RHP Tyler Danish, INF Wilmer Difo, RHP Demarcus Evans, RHP Ian Hamilton, OF Michael Hermosillo, OF Billy McKinney, RHP Ja...

FEBRUARY 7, 2023 • MERCURYNEWS.COM

Receives NRI from Yanks Difo signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Friday and was invited to major-league spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Impact Difo will receive $1.2 million if he's in the majors. The 30-year-old utility infielder is a career .250/.311/.353 hitter across parts of eight major-league seasons for three different teams.

DECEMBER 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Hits free agency Difo elected free agency Sunday after the Diamondbacks outrighted him to Triple-A Reno.

Impact Rather than joining Reno for the final week and a half of its season, Difo will explore the open market and look to find a new home in advance of the 2023 campaign. Before Arizona designated Difo for assignment last week, he saw action in just three games for the Diamondbacks, logging six plate appearances.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Outrighted to Triple-A Difo cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.

Impact Difo had a pretty good year by his standards in 2021, hitting .269/.329/.384 in 240 trips to the plate, good for a nearly average 95 wRC+. He stands a decent chance of returning in a bench role at some point in 2022, though nothing in his track record suggests he should be getting regular at-bats, as he owns a lifetime 75 wRC+ over parts of seven seasons.

NOVEMBER 6, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Cranks fourth homer Difo hit a two-run home run as a pinch hitter in Friday's 8-6 loss to Philadelphia.

Impact The infielder hit for pitcher Nick Mears in the seventh inning. Difo's blast put Pittsburgh ahead briefly, but Didi Gregorius answered with a three-run blast in the bottom of the frame. Through 228 plate appearances, Difo has a .271/.333/.382 slash line with four homers, 22 RBI, 24 runs scored and a stolen base. He hasn't started since Sept. 14 as Pittsburgh has faced a run of right-handed pitchers.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Difo scores winning run in ninth, Pirates keep Reds slumping

Wilmer Difo scored on a groundout from Colin Moran with one out in the ninth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates handed the Cincinnati Reds a seventh loss in nine games with a 5-4 wi...

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 • Associated Press

Returns to bench vs. righty Difo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.

Impact Difo went 2-for-8 with a run scored while manning second base in both of the past two games, but those two starts came against left-handed pitchers. The lefty-hitting Hoy Park will get the nod at the keystone with a righty (Vladimir Gutierrez) on the mound for Cincinnati, so the switch-hitting Difo doesn't look to be much more than short-side platoon player for the Pirates.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Cubs beat Pirates 6-5 on Difo error in 11th Sergio Alcántara scampered home when second baseman Wilmer Difo mishandled a popup in the 11th inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsbu...

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 • KANSASCITY.COM

Cubs beat Pirates 6-5 on Difo error in 11th

Sergio Alcántara scampered home when second baseman Wilmer Difo mishandled a popup in the 11th inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 for their third straight...

SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 • Associated Press

Collects three hits Difo went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in an 11-7 win over the Cardinals on Thursday.

Impact Drawing the start Thursday, Difo collected three hits along with his first RBI since August 14. The 29-year-old has primarily been used in a bench role this season slashing .269/.332/.389.

AUGUST 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Filling limited role for Bucs Difo remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

Impact Difo appeared to be a candidate to receive more playing time in the second half of the season after Adam Frazier was dealt to the Padres ahead of the trade deadline, but an increased role hasn't materialized for the 29-year-old utility man. He's picked up only four starts since the All-Star break, with deadline pickup Hoy Park and prospect Rodolfo Castro instead taking priority over Difo in the infield.

AUGUST 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Bump in near-term playing time? Difo struck out in his lone batting appearance in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Giants.

Impact He entered the game as an eighth-inning replacement at second base for Adam Frazier. Following Frazier's trade, Difo could see additional playing time at second. Tucupita Marcano, Erik Gonzalez (side) and Cole Tucker (Triple-A) are also candidates to play second base, as is Rodolfo Castro, who is currently with Double-A Altoona. For his part, Difo put together a 12-for-25 string in mid-July but has done his best work as a pinch-hitter (10-for-31, two homers).

JULY 26, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Off The Bat: For Wilmer Difo, picking the right walkup song matters Wilmer Difo’s walkup song is Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” How in the world did this happen?

JULY 23, 2021 • POST-GAZETTE.COM

Looks like top option off bench Difo will start at third base and bat second Sunday against the Mets.

Impact Difo's run of regular work in right field looks to have come to an end after Gregory Polanco (hip) was reinstated from the injured list Saturday, but the former's multi-positional versatility will likely make him the next man up for work when any of the Pittsburgh regulars require a breather. He'll be spelling a resting Ke'Bryan Hayes at the hot corner in the series finale. Difo is slashing a sizzling .423/.516/.731 across 26 at-bats in July.

JULY 18, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Pirates' Wilmer Difo continues torrid pace with spark plug, three-run homer against the Mets Wilmer Difo crushed the ball to deep right in the Pirates’ penultimate rally, setting up the most dramatic win they’ve had all season.

JULY 18, 2021 • POST-GAZETTE.COM

Contributes three-run blast Difo came off the bench to hit a three-run home run in Saturday's comeback win over the Mets.

Impact Difo entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and took New York reliever Seth Lugo deep to right field to pull the Pirates to within 6-5. It was the third homer of the year for the former National, who is slashing .287/.347/.454 across 118 plate appearances in his first season with the Pirates.

JULY 18, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Launches second homer Difo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 4-1 win over the Mets.

Impact The 29-year-old hit his first homer since April 11 in the sixth inning of Friday's contest. Difo has a .280/.342/.421 slash line with two long balls, nine RBI, 11 runs scored, two triples and five doubles through 117 plate appearances. He's mainly split time with Jared Oliva in right field while Gregory Polanco (hip) remains out.

JULY 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Reaches base four times Difo went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI single and a run scored in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Mets.

Impact The 29-year-old delivered a clutch hit Sunday, as his RBI single in the ninth inning put Pittsburgh ahead. Difo has mostly served in a depth role since he rejoined the major-league roster on June 2. The utility man is slashing .272/.336/.388 with one home run, eight RBI and nine runs scored through 113 plate appearances this year.

JULY 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Difo hit in 9th caps 5-run comeback as Pirates edge Mets 6-5

Wilmer Difo’s tiebreaking single in the ninth inning capped Pittsburgh’s biggest comeback of the season, and the Pirates rallied from an early five-run deficit to beat the New York...

JULY 11, 2021 • Associated Press

Rob Biertempfel: Pirates put INF Erik González on the 10-day IL.... - The Athletic Pirates put INF Erik González on the 10-day IL. Wilmer Difo called up from Indy. Corresponding move to get Difo back on 40-man coming soon.

JULY 2, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Promoted by Pittsburgh Difo had his contract selected by the Pirates on Friday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Impact Difo was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh in early June but will receive another big-league opportunity after spending the past couple weeks at Triple-A Indianapolis. The 29-year-old will supply some much-needed infield depth with Colin Moran (wrist) recently landing on the injured list and Erik Gonzalez (side) exiting Thursday's game. Difo slashed .244/.287/.366 with a homer, six RBI and seven runs in 87 plate appearances across the first two-plus months of the season before the demotion.

JULY 2, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Pirates farm report for June 17, 2021: Mason Martin goes deep twice in Altoona win INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 21-17) beat Memphis (Cardinals) 3-2 in 11 innings. 3B Wilmer Difo hit the game-winning RBI single in the 11th. He we...

JUNE 18, 2021 • TRIBLIVE.COM

Stays in organization The Pirates outrighted Difo to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday after he cleared waivers, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Impact The utility man no longer possesses a spot on the 40-man roster, but he'll remain in the organization after none of MLB's other 29 teams were willing to put in a waiver claim for him. Prior to being designated for assignment by Pittsburgh, Difo appeared in 44 games and slashed .244/.287/.366 with one home run, seven runs and six RBI.

JUNE 14, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Designated for assignment The Pirates designated Difo for assignment Tuesday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Impact Difo has been a somewhat capable offensive performer, hitting .244 with six RBI in a backup role, but apparently he didn't do enough to keep a roster spot now that Phillip Evans (hamstring) is healthy. Difo's defensive versatility may be intriguing to some teams, so it wouldn't be shocking to see him claimed off waivers.

JUNE 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

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Difo scores winning run in ninth, Pirates keep Reds slumping

Cubs beat Pirates 6-5 on Difo error in 11th

Difo hit in 9th caps 5-run comeback as Pirates edge Mets 6-5