The Pirates have been hit arduous by accidents this week.
Pirates director of sports activities medication Todd Tomczyk mentioned on Thursday that third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes reaggravated his left wrist. Hayes, the No. 9 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, was positioned on the 10-day injured checklist on April four, after coping with irritation within the wrist that stemmed from a swing towards Jake Arrieta the day past.
The membership additionally introduced a flurry of strikes on Thursday, together with right-hander Chad Kuhl being despatched to the injured checklist retroactive to Monday with proper shoulder discomfort, and right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb being recalled.
Tomczyk additionally confirmed that Jared Oliva, one of many Pirates’ depth choices within the outfield, shall be out of motion on the alternate coaching web site for not less than 4 weeks, after sustaining a left indirect harm. That information coincided with the membership’s choice on Thursday to designate for project Dustin Fowler and recall Todd Frazier from the alternate coaching web site.
Hayes was anticipated to see sport motion with the alternate web site group in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday and Wednesday, however each video games have been canceled resulting from climate. Tomczyk mentioned Hayes traveled to Detroit on Wednesday to take “high-velocity swings,” and the discomfort cropped again up whereas taking a clumsy swing at a pitch.
“He felt it on the identical swing when he needed to awkwardly lengthen his wrist as he did throughout the sport in Chicago,” Tomczyk mentioned. “… That is what makes [rehab games] such an necessary a part of the rehab course of, as a result of what we do not wish to do is put Ke’Bryan ready in a sport the place that might make the magnitude even worse, not just for him, however for the group as properly.”
After struggling by a six-game shedding streak as soon as Hayes, who was a preseason favourite for the Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months Award, was out of motion, the Pirates’ prime of the order has managed to supply good performances just lately. Nonetheless, Hayes’ return could be a boon for an offense that ranked 19th within the Majors in OPS (.686) getting into Thursday’s motion.
“The primary message for him was simply keep constructive,” supervisor Derek Shelton mentioned. “We’re 19 video games into the season. Let’s keep constructive. Let’s reassess and transfer on and see the place we’re at.”
Shelton mentioned Kuhl’s shoulder problem was one thing he and the Pirates monitored intently, and after some conversations Thursday morning — and forward of Kuhl’s scheduled begin on Sunday — they felt it was finest to make the transfer now.
“It was simply one thing that lent itself after his final begin,” Shelton mentioned, “and with the discomfort, going to Minnesota, it being chilly and the off-days developing, we simply felt that it was the perfect alternative to offer him slightly little bit of a break.”
The Pirates are nonetheless figuring out how finest to fill Kuhl’s flip within the rotation on Sunday, however Shelton pointed to Luis Oviedo, Sean Poppen and Duane Underwood Jr. as choices to offer size in a possible bullpen sport if wanted.
So far as the outfield shakeup, Fowler slashed .171/.239/.195 in 18 video games because the Pirates’ heart fielder, the place he break up time with Anthony Alford, who was designated for project on Wednesday.
“We gave a few guys alternatives and felt prefer it was time to regulate and transfer,” Shelton mentioned. “We transfer ahead.”
How so? For now, it received’t contain Oliva, the Pirates’ No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline, who joined the alternate coaching web site squad final week after engaged on “expertise improvement” in Bradenton, Fla., to start the season. He felt ache in his indirect throughout batting follow and alerted the medical employees earlier than being shut down.
Within the quick time period, the Pirates will play Bryan Reynolds in heart discipline, as they did in Thursday’s collection finale towards the Tigers.
“That’s to not say he’s going to remain in heart for the remainder of the yr or on daily basis,” Shelton mentioned, “however I might say within the quick time period, you’re going to see him in heart.”
Ka’ai Tom will even have a terrific alternative to assert the job of beginning heart fielder. The Pirates claimed Tom off waivers on Wednesday from the A’s, who had chosen him off waivers within the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.
Brian Goodwin, an skilled possibility in any respect three outfield spots, is on the membership’s alternate coaching web site, however Shelton mentioned the Pirates made the transfer for Frazier as an alternative on Thursday as he was a “higher match” for the approaching video games. Shelton mentioned Frazier shall be an choice to cowl each infield corners, although he served because the DH on Thursday in Detroit forward of one other American League set with the Twins.
”I believe it’s one thing that we felt would put us in a greater state of affairs, yeah,” Shelton mentioned of the transfer for Frazier. “So as soon as we discovered about Key, we determined to make a retro transfer on that.”