PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates GM Ben Cherington said he wants to see multiple pitchers get opportunities to start in the last couple of months of the Pirates season. Some of those didn’t pitch last year or are reaching career-innings marks.
How do you get a look without risking injury?
Pirates Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk says he is working day-in and day-out to try to figure out the correct amount of opportunities for every pitcher.
“It’s the million-dollar question and we don’t have all of the answers,” Tomczyk said. “We are trying to learn every day from them. We go off a three-pillar approach-how they are preparing, how they are training and how they are recovering. The recovery part is probably most important.”
“We collaborate with our informatics, with our player development, with our performance team, our medical team, our pitching department and notably the individual and the player.”
MLB Player updates
· RHP Trevor Cahill-confirmed broken bones in the foot and an injury to one of the main ligaments in the foot. Out 8-12 weeks
· LHP Sam Howard-playing catch to 120 feet, starting to pitch off the mound, likely will pitch a side-session later this week or next
· 1B Colin Moran-responding well to rehab games, will continue in minors
· INF Erik Gonzalez-responding well to rehab games, will continue in minors
· OF Ka’ai Tom cleared for all baseball activities
Minor League player updates
· RHP Braxton Ashcraft (6’5”, 195 pound, 21-year-old at High-A)-will have total reconstructive surgery on his elbow, out 14-16 months. Ashcraft was 1-0 with a 1.65 ERA in May with 4 walks in 16.1 innings with 17 strikeouts. He was a Pirates 2nd round pick in 2018.
· RHP Roansy Contreras (6’, 175 pound, 21-year-old at AA)-forearm strain, continues to make strides, hope he will be able to finish out the season. Contreras, an AA All-Star, was 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA, 0.91 WHIP with 11 walks to 65 strikeouts in 46 innings.
· SS Oneil Cruz (6’7”, 210 pound, 22-year-old at AA)-forearm strain, continues to make strides, expected to begin a hitting progression later this week. Plan is to finish out the season. Cruz hitting .289 with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 9 home runs, career-high .538 slugging.
· RHP Miguel Yajure (6’1”, 220 pound, 23-year-old at AAA)-sore forearm, continues to do will. They envision a minor league rehab assignment to begin later this week with the Low-A Marauders. Yajure made two starts for the Pirates this year (0-1, 3.86 ERA, 9.1 innings. 8 strikeouts) and three in AAA (1-1, 3.71 ERA, 17 innings, 17 strikeouts). GM Ben Cherington mentioned him potentially getting more starts with the Pirates.
· RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (6’2”, 232 pound, 22-year-old at High-A )-right shoulder injury, is back throwing. He is close to resuming live game sim-games and back throwing off the mound. A first round pick last year, Mlodzinski is 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 9 starts, 41 innings, 14 walks, 54 strikeouts.