Pirates add 6 players to active roster, including Travis Snider, Elias Diaz

With the expansion of active rosters to 40 today, the Pirates have announced that they've recalled Jaff Decker, Bobby LaFromboise and Elias Diaz, selected the contracts of Radhames Liz and Travis Snider, and reinstated Rob Scahill from the DL. They also cleared a 40-man roster spot by placing Casey Sadler (elbow) on the 60-day DL.

LaFromboise, Liz and Scahill will provide a bit of extra pitching depth, with Liz likely helping the Pirates in a long-relief capacity. Snider and Decker will provide the Pirates with two extra lefty bats off the bench. It's hard to see how Decker will get much playing time with Snider and Gregory Polanco both on the team, but he might prove modestly useful to the Pirates as a pinch-runner -- he's stolen 18 bases this season for Indianapolis and has only gotten caught three times.

Notably absent from the Pirates' list of callups is Vance Worley, although he pitched eight innings for Indianapolis yesterday, so the Bucs could just be waiting to promote him until he's available to pitch. Another key absence is that of Tony Sanchez. The Pirates evidently prefer Diaz, who's better regarded as a defender than Sanchez and also had a better offensive season. Sanchez may have made his last appearance in the big leagues with the Pirates.

Alen Hanson also remains in the minors. It wouldn't surprise me, though, if he joined the Bucs once Indianapolis' season ends.