Ben Heller Taking Nothing for Granted in Second Chance With Pirates

PITTSBURGH — If you watched Ben Heller’s first stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, you know how disastrous the results were.

As a refresher, Heller made two appearances in early June. In his team debut against the Dodgers, Heller allowed five runs on four hits in a lone inning of relief. Three days later, a depleted Pirates’ bullpen left Heller responsible for the top of the 10th inning against the Twins. Heller allowed seven runs to score and took the loss.

With a 49.50 ERA, Heller was designated for assignment and was sent outright to Triple-A Indianapolis, doubtful he’d ever return to the majors, let alone the Pirates. 

“There was definitely a time where I thought I burned all bridges of ever getting another big-league opportunity,” he explained. “Opportunities at this level don’t just grow on trees.”

It’s easy to understand why Heller would think that, but a second chance was indeed in his future. It’s true that options are somewhat limited in Triple-A, but Heller stood out more than others due to his performance. 

In 15 appearances after getting sent back to Indianapolis, Heller posted a 1.84 ERA and struck out 21 batters in 14.2 innings. The 33-year-old has had quite a season with the Pirates’ top minor-league affiliate. His 3.55 ERA isn’t spectacular, but Heller held opponents to a .168 batting average and racked up 55 punch outs in 33 innings. 

Though his confidence may have been somewhat broken given the results he had in his first chance with the Pirates, it never shattered. Getting back to the basics certainly did the trick in rebounding back in Indianapolis and continuing his solid work in the minor leagues.

“At the end of the day for me, it’s about pounding the zone. I have good stuff, but it’s about pounding the zone and sequencing well. Just getting back to doing that and not overcomplicating it.”

With a need in the bullpen, the Pirates selected Heller’s contract on Aug. 8. 

Since returning, Heller has pitched 5.1-scoreless innings across three appearances, the latest of which came in the Pirates’ 10-3 loss to the Mariners on Sunday afternoon. 

Given the circumstances, Heller is happy just to be back pitching on a big-league mound again, but it’s even sweeter given the way he’s performed since rejoining the club.

“It feels good, man,” Heller said on being back after Sunday’s game. “Obviously, after my first time up here, I’m thankful to get a shot at all, but realistically, I feel good. I feel like the ball’s coming out well and I know I can help this team right now.”

Heller’s second chance is pretty remarkable. I don’t think too many people had him wearing a Pirates’ uniform again this season on their bingo card. 

Though there’s no telling how long his current opportunity will last, Heller has a simplistic approach to ensuring his new lease on life as a major-leaguer keeps on going.

“It’s just been about, sort of slowing things down and just trying to repeat what I’ve been doing in the minor leagues all year. It’s the same game, but you feel a lot of different things out there. Everything is so magnified. It’s so intense. The game is a lot faster here, but ultimately, it’s the same exact game. It’s sort of just about reminding myself of that and sticking with my strengths and trusting that will be good enough.”