Perrotto: Pirates’ Depth Taking Hits in One Area (+)
PITTSBURGH – Terry Francona has a line he uses over and over about the importance of pitching depth.
“Just when you think you have enough pitching, get more,” the Cleveland Guardians manager says.
That applies to the Pittsburgh Pirates after a couple of rough weeks on the injury front.
During the final days of spring training, the Pirates placed right-hander JT Brubaker on the injured list with elbow/forearm discomfort. That was an ominous sign and, sure enough, the 29-year-old underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery Wednesday.
Brubaker will likely be sidelined 14-16 months, which means he will not only miss this season but a significant chunk of the 2024 season.
Right-hander Mike Burrows left his start for Triple-A Indianapolis last Saturday because of forearm discomfort. That injury is usually a precursor to Tommy John surgery, though no decision has been made yet on whether Burrows will have that operation.
Baseball America ranks Burrows as the Pirates’ No. 9 prospect. He also pitched in the All-Star Futures Game last year in Los Angeles.
General manager Ben Cherington acknowledges the injuries impact the organization’s pitching depth. However, he remains optimistic they still have enough healthy arms.
“We feel good,” Cherington said. “We have guys (at Indianapolis) for sure we feel confident coming up and pitching in the big leagues, but we need to do the work to help others develop this year over the course of the season so they can be part of that.”
Cherington will also have an eye on the waiver wire and trade market as well as keep a lookout for any pitchers who might be released.
However, he warns, “We’re one of 30 teams looking for more starting pitching depth right now. We’re not the only shopper.”
Brubaker’s injury opened a spot in the big-league rotation for right-hander Johan Oviedo. The Pirates’ original plan for the 25-year-old going into spring training was to either use him in a swingman role in the major leagues or be a starter at Indianapolis.
Oviedo has pitched well in his first two starts of the season, going 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA. He tossed 6.2 scoreless innings Sunday to beat the Chicago White Sox.
Luis Ortiz is the top starting pitching prospect at Indianapolis, and he made four starts for the Pirates late last season. Other starters for Indy include Quinn Priester, Carmen Mlodzinski and Osvaldo Bido.
Ortiz is ranked as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ fourth-best prospect by Baseball America while Priester is No. 5 and Mlodzinski is No. 22.
While the news that Brubaker had surgery is not a surprise, it was still a disappointment. He seemed poised for a big year after an outstanding spring training in which he struck out 26 in 17.1 innings while walking just three.
Brubaker is also one of the most popular players in the clubhouse.
“He’s gonna overcome this elbow injury and get back,” Cherington said. “We’re gonna support him. Just one of those things. He worked hard to put himself in a good position this spring. He was having a good spring. Unfortunately, he got an injury, and we’ll help him get through it. In the meantime, opportunity for other guys to step up.”
Oviedo has so far and now the Pittsburgh Pirates need others to follow suit.
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