6/15 20:04: Buster Olney of ESPN.com says the Pirates are calling up Pedro Alvarez to play against the Whtie Sox on Wednesday.

6/14 11:17: Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Pirates top prospect Pedro Alvarez this week.

“Haven’t heard anything,” Alvarez said. “There’s nothing definite. I can’t worry about it. I think they will call me up to the majors when they think I’m ready. I feel confident in my ability to play at the next level. I’m just hoping to get the opportunity.”

“No, I won’t rule it out,” Pirates GM Neal Huntington said Sunday. “Our [initial] feel was closer to the end of the month, but Pedro has responded well to the challenge of these other two guys going up,” a reference to the Jose Tabata-Brad Lincoln callups last week that prompted an Alvarez homer-triple-double performance. “It’s something we’ve got to talk about more internally. Sometimes, players can push those timetables forward because of adjustments they make.”

Alvarez, at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, is widely regarded as the Pirates’ best power prospect since Barry Bonds. He ranks second in the International League in extra base hits (32), is tied for second in RBIs (52), is fourth in home runs (13) and fifth in hits (65).