SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pirates today acquired outfielder Michael Restovich from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later and cash.

Restovich, 26, had been designated for assignment Monday by the Rockies. He was hitting .290 (9 for 31) with one home run, two doubles and three RBIs. He spent parts of the three previous seasons at the major-league level with the Minnesota Twins. His career average is .278 with four home runs in 144 at-bats.

The Pirates had been in need of a right-handed hitting outfielder since Craig Wilson was injured Friday in Phoenix. Wilson will miss 6-8 weeks after finger surgery.

"He's a big, strong guy who's got power," general manager Dave Littlefield said. "We're interested in taking a look at him."

At 6 feet 4, 251 pounds, Restovich generally is viewed as someone with the potential to hit home runs in the majors. He hit 20 with a .247 average in 106 games for Class AAA Rochester last season. He also struck out 104 times.

The latter has been his most significant shortcoming. He has topped 100 strikeouts in the minors each of the past six seasons.

"That's usually an issue for home run hitters," Littlefield said.

Last season in the majors, Restovich hit .368 against left-handers, .179 against right-handers.

"We think he can provide us with an option against left-handed pitching and can play the outfield, so we'll take a look at it," Littlefield said. "He's been an intriguing guy for years because of his power, but he's also had prospect-type status. He hasn't really done it at the major-league level. We'll see how he does."

The last-place Rockies recently made the decision to increase their pitching staff to 12, pushing Restovich out of their plans. Restovich attended spring training with the Twins, then was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They designated him for assignment, and he was claimed by the Rockies on April 6.

He will join the Pirates for their series opener Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. The team will need to make a roster move before that game to accommodate him. That almost certainly will be the return of outfielder Ray Sadler to Class AA Altoona.