The Pittsburgh Pirates signed free-agent outfielder Gilberto Celestino to a minor-league deal on Monday, according to sources. Celestino made his big-league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2021 and hit just .136 (8-for-59) with two homers and three RBI in 23 games before getting more of a chance in 2022 over a 122-game span. In his second season with the Twins, he slashed .238/.313/.302 with two homers, 12 doubles, a triple, 24 RBI, four stolen bases and 30 runs scored in 347 plate appearances. The 24-year-old didn't play at all in the majors in 2023 after having surgery in March to fix a torn UCL in his left thumb, but he could have a shot to win a bench role in spring training in Pittsburgh in 2024. Celestino is known mostly for his speed and his glove in the outfield, so he's of little use to fantasy managers.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Gilberto Celestino (thumb) has suffered a ruptured UCL, which will sideline him for multiple weeks. The 24-year-old is set to undergo surgery that is going to sideline him for roughly 6-8 weeks. The expectation was that Celestino would begin the season in Triple-A anyway. However, he's now going to be sidelined until around May sometime. Celestino didn't have much fantasy value last season, so he can be ignored to begin the season.

Minnesota Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli said the plan is for outfielder Gilberto Celestino to join the team for their series against the Blue Jays in Toronto this weekend. It's unknown if Celestino will be activated from the COVID-19 injured list right away, though, as they'll need to gage his physical conditioning first. The 23-year-old has started testing negative for the virus and is very close to clearing the league's protocols. There's a chance the Twins will want Celestino to go on a minor league rehab assignment first. As a reserve outfielder this year, Celestino has hit a strong .324/.398/.378 with no homers, four RBI and 10 runs scored in 74 at-bats for the Twins in 2022.