Pirates Will Go With Converted Reliever as Fifth Starter

Though there was speculation that top 100 prospect Thomas Harrington would make the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day roster, he will instead start the year in the minor leagues.

Derek Shelton informed members of the media, including MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf, that Harrington will not make the club’s initial roster. Instead, the Pirates will go with right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski as the fifth starter.

Mlodzinski totaled 75 appearances for the Pirates the past two seasons, the majority of which have been as a reliever, but he was used as an opener on five occasions.

It’s been a successful two-year run for Mldozinski to begin his big-league career. The 26-year-old is 8-8 with a 2.91 ERA in a total of 86.1 innings pitched.

Though he doesn’t have traditional starting pitching experience in the big leagues, he was initially used as a starter in the minor leagues after the Pirates selected him with the 31st pick in the 2020 draft.

Mlodzinski pitched out of the starting rotation from 2021-22 across three levels of the minots. He went 2-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 15 appearances/14 starts in 2021 and 6-8 with a 4.78 ERA in 27 appearances/22 starts the following season. Prior to the start of the 2023 season, Mlodzinski was shifted to the bullpen.

The Pirates announced at the beginning of spring training that Mlodzinski would be stretched out as a starting pitcher. In four appearances/two starts, he’s allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with three walks and eight strikeouts across 9.2 innings in the Grapefruit League.

Harrington, meanwhile, had a strong spring with two runs allowed on just three hits in 6.2 innings pitched. Though his debut will have to wait, it looks likely that Harrington will pitch for the Pirates at some point in the 2025 season.

The 23-year-old made eight starts with Triple-A Indianapolis last season and went 5-1 with a 3.33 ERA. He also made 13 appearances/12 starts with Double-A Altoona and posted a 2.24 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 68.1 innings.

The Pirates had a void in the rotation due to an elbow injury for Jared Jones. There has not yet been additional information provided on the significance of his injury, but he will at least miss the start of the season.

Mlodzinski will be joined by Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney in the Pirates’ rotation to begin the year.