Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rob Zastryzny

Pirates Outright Rob Zastryzny

By | at

The Pirates have sent reliever Rob Zastryzny through outright waivers, per the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Friday and apparently went unclaimed.

Zastryzny signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh over the offseason and broke camp with the MLB team. The 31-year-old southpaw made 18 appearances around a pair of injured list stints. He allowed 13 runs (10 earned) across 17 innings, striking out and walking 13 batters apiece. Those aren’t great bottom line results, although Zastryzny did average a personal-best 92.9 MPH on his fastball.

This is the second straight year and fifth overall in which the former second-round draftee got to the MLB level. He’s logged 55 2/3 career innings of 4.85 ERA ball, striking out a below-average 18.6% of batters faced. The Missouri product has allowed just under five earned runs per nine over 366 2/3 career Triple-A frames.

Zastryzny was previously outrighted by the Cubs five seasons ago. Players with multiple career outrights can decline the assignment in favor of minor league free agency. The Bucs haven’t announced whether Zastryzny plans to do so.

Pirates Place McCutchen, Hayes On Injured List; Designate Rob Zastryzny

By | at

The Pirates made a number of moves before tonight’s game in Arizona. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes were both placed on the 10-day injured list. To take the active roster spots, Pittsburgh reinstated first baseman Ji Man Choi from the 60-day IL and recalled right-hander Cody Bolton. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster, Pittsburgh designated reliever Rob Zastryzny for assignment after activating him from his own IL stint.

McCutchen’s placement is retroactive to July 6 and on account of right elbow inflammation. He’d been nagged by elbow soreness dating back a few weeks, and the club apparently decided to give him some time to rest it completely. Next week’s All-Star Break means McCutchen could miss as few as five games if he’s able to return when first eligible.

Signed to a one-year deal over the winter, the former MVP has had an excellent return season in Pittsburgh. He’s hitting .268/.383/.425 with 10 homers across 316 trips to the plate. He’s walking at an elite 15.5% clip while striking out only 20.3% of the time.

Hayes is dealing with lower back inflammation. The same issue sent him to the IL on June 28. He was reinstated last night but evidently isn’t fully healthy after all. The Pirates used Jared Triolo as their primary third baseman while Hayes was out, so the rookie infielder figures to draw back into the starting lineup.

Choi will try to get his first Pittsburgh campaign rolling heading into the Break. Acquired from the Rays over the offseason, the lefty-hitting first baseman only appeared in nine games before a strained Achilles tendon in his left foot put him on the shelf. Choi was ice cold in the season’s first couple weeks but reached base at a quality .341 clip for Tampa Bay last year. With Carlos Santana at first base, Choi draws into the starting lineup tonight at designated hitter. He’ll hit fifth against Arizona ace Zac Gallen.

With Choi coming back from the 60-day IL, Pittsburgh needed to clear a 40-man spot. That’ll be at Zastryzny’s expense. The 31-year-old lefty cracked the Opening Day roster after an offseason minor league deal. He made 18 appearances, working to a 5.29 ERA through 17 frames. Zastryzny had as many walks as strikeouts (13 apiece) and twice landed on the IL.

The more recent of those stints came three weeks ago, when forearm inflammation put him on the shelf. Zastryzny is apparently now healthy, but the Bucs elected not to carry him on the roster. He’s out of minor league option years, so Pittsburgh needed to either plug him back into the MLB bullpen or take him off the 40-man.

Within the next week, Pittsburgh will trade him or put him on waivers. Zastryzny has cleared outright waivers in the past, so he’d have the ability to test free agency if he goes unclaimed again.

Pirates Promote Jared Triolo, Place Ke’Bryan Hayes On IL

By | at

The Pirates announced that they have recalled infielder Jared Triolo from Triple-A. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. He’ll take the roster spot of third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list with low back inflammation, retroactive to June 25. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted Triolo’s presence at the ballpark prior to the official announcement.

Triolo, now 25, was selected by the Pirates with the 72nd overall pick in the 2019 draft. He got a brief professional debut that year but then the minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020.  He spent 2021 at High-A, hitting 15 home runs in 108 games and slashing .304/.369/.480 for a wRC+ of 128 while stealing 25 bases.

He got bumped to Double-A last year and seemed to have less power but with better discipline. He only hit nine home runs in 112 games but his walk rate jumped from 8.9% to 12.7% as his strikeout rate dropped from 19.9% to 17.6%. He hit .282/.376/.419 overall for a 121 wRC+ and swiped another 24 bags.

The Bucs added Triolo to their 40-man roster in November to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Coming into this year, he was ranked the club’s #15 prospect (since moved to #16) by Baseball America, #9 by FanGraphs and #15 by Keith Law of The Athletic. He’s generally considered an excellent defender at third base but has been moved around to other positions because of the presence of Hayes. In addition to third, he’s also spent some time at the other infield positions and in center field as well.

Here in 2023, he hit a speed bump when he required hamate surgery in early April. That delayed his 2023 debut into early May. He’s played 37 Triple-A games this year with just one home run and a 27.7% strikeout rate, but he’s walked in 15.7% of his trips to the plate. His .293/.403 .436 overall line amounts to a 117 wRC+ and he’s tallied another eight steals. He’ll likely help cover third while Hayes is out but could potentially move to other positions if he performs well enough that the club decided to keep him around.

The Pirates were red hot in April but have cooled off lately. Their 36-42 record has them in fourth place in the National League Central but they are only five games off the lead. They are still acting like they want to put their best club on the field and stay in the fight, having recently promoted notable prospects like Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales and now Triolo.

As for Hayes, he last played on Saturday due to this back issue popping up. The fact that he wasn’t immediately placed on the IL suggests it may be a borderline case and he’ll therefore be back in action soon. Since the move is backdated, he could be back in a week if that is indeed the case. He’s continued to provide his excellent defense this year, having already tallied 10 Defensive Runs Saved and nine Outs Above Average. However, his offense remains subpar, with his .254/.290/.397 batting line amounting to a wRC+ of 84.

Elsewhere on the roster, the Bucs could soon welcome back first baseman Ji Man Choi and left-hander Rob Zastryzny from the injured list. They’ll each head to Triple-A Indianapolis for rehab assignments tonight, per Mackey.

Pirates Select Carmen Mlodzinski

By | at

The Pirates announced they’ve selected right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski onto the major league roster. Lefty reliever Rob Zastryzny is headed to the 15-day injured list with forearm inflammation. The Bucs already had two vacancies on the 40-man roster, so no further move was necessary.

Mlodzinski, 24, gets to the big leagues for the first time. A high-profile prospect at the University of South Carolina, he went 31st overall in the 2020 draft. Mlodzinski entered pro ball as a starting pitching prospect and remained in the rotation up through Double-A. He’s moved full-time to relief this season, his first extended run with Triple-A Indianapolis.

The 6’2″ hurler has impressed in his new bullpen role. Over 25 2/3 innings across 19 outings, he has a 3.16 ERA. He’s striking out 27.2% of opponents against a slightly high but tolerable 9.6% walk percentage. Baseball America recently ranked him the #20 talent in a strong Pittsburgh farm system, crediting him with a well-rounded three-pitch arsenal.

Mlodzinski would’ve been eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not added to the 40-man roster next offseason. He broke through a little sooner than roster mechanizations required with his solid few months in Triple-A. He’ll take the bullpen spot vacated by Zastryzny, who has made 18 appearances with a 5.29 ERA on the year.

Pirates Designate Miguel Andujar For Assignment

By | at

The Pirates announced that they have activated left-hander Rob Zastryzny from the injured list, with outfielder Miguel Andujar designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Andujar, 28, was selected to the club’s roster three weeks ago but has hit just .161/.212/.387 in his 33 plate appearances since then. He had earned that call-up with a .284/.364/.500 showing in Triple-A but wasn’t able to bring any of that production up to the big leagues with him.

It’s yet another unfortunate development in Andujar’s career, one that seemed so promising a few years ago. He hit .297/.328/.527 for the Yankees in 2018, finishing second to Shohei Ohtani in Rookie of the Year voting. Unfortunately, he required season-ending shoulder surgery after just 12 games in 2019 and hasn’t seemed the same since. Once he returned to health in 2020, the Yankees had filled his third base position with players like DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela, which squeezed him out of regular playing time. Over the past few years, he’s continued to hit well in Triple-A but struggled whenever given another shot at the majors. Going back to the start of 2020, he’s hit .291/.346/.508 in the minors but just .237/.268/.354 in the big leagues.

The Bucs will now have a week to either trade Andujar or pass him through waivers. He’s making a salary of $1.525MM this year, which could factor into how this plays out. While some teams might be intrigued by his past success and Triple-A numbers, they would have to be willing to take on that money. Andujar was passed through waivers in January without anyone putting in a claim. He would have had the right to reject an outright assignment at that time but would have had to forfeit that money and ultimately accepted, which could be the same script that is followed in the coming days.

Pirates’ Ji-Man Choi Expected To Miss About Two Months

By | at

5:37pm: Zastryzny’s shutdown period lasts seven to ten days, not weeks, Mackey clarifies (Twitter link). Tomczyk had misspoken during his initial update. That obviously changes the southpaw’s recovery timetable significantly and reduces the chances he’ll find himself on the 60-day IL.

1:19pm: The Pirates placed first baseman Ji-Man Choi on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left Achilles tendon earlier this week, but he’ll face a considerably lengthier absence than that 10-day minimum. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk tells reporters that Choi is expected to miss the next eight weeks of action (Twitter links via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Tomczyk also provided discouraging updates on lefties Jarlin Garcia and Rob Zastryzny. The former is still incapable of gripping a ball, while the latter is likely out for seven to ten weeks himself after being diagnosed with ulnar neuritis.

Choi, 32 next month, was acquired from the Rays in a November trade that sent minor league righty Jack Hartman the other way. Pittsburgh knew at the time that he’d need to undergo a relatively minor elbow procedure but expected him to be ready for the 2023 season. That indeed proved to be the case, but Choi has gotten out to a slow start, going just 4-for-32 with an uncharacteristic 15 strikeouts and no walks. For a hitter who came into the season with a 13.4% walk rate and 25.6% strikeout rate, it’s an odd trend even in a small sample of plate appearances. To Choi’s credit, two of his hits did clear the fence for home runs.

An eight-week timeline will put Choi on the shelf into at least mid-June and make him a candidate for transfer to the 60-day injured list, should the Pirates need to open a 40-man roster spot at any point in the near future. Veteran Carlos Santana can handle the lion’s share of work at first base while Choi misses time, freeing the DH spot up for fan favorite Andrew McCutchen. Giving Cutch more time at DH could keep his legs fresher and give the Pirates the opportunity to trot out a superior defensive group in the outfield, where Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, Canaan Smith-Njigba and Connor Joe are among the current options. Joe also has experience at first base, if the Pirates want to give Santana some DH time.

Turning to the bullpen updates, things are similarly unfortunate. Garcia was signed as a free agent in the offseason, inking a one-year, $2.5MM contract with an option for a second season. The 30-year-old southpaw, however, exited an early spring start due to tightness in his left arm, and the Pirates announced not long after that he’d be shut down for “several weeks.” That shutdown period grew once he was diagnosed with a nerve issue near his biceps and prescribed an additional four to five weeks without throwing. Pittsburgh transferred him to the 60-day IL earlier this month.

While it was already know that Garcia would be in for a lengthy absence, this latest update is nonetheless discouraging, as it’s now been four and a half weeks since the team announced that five-week shutdown. Given that he’s still unable to grip a ball, it seems his no-throw period will extend further, though Tomczyk did not provide a specific timetable or divulge whether any additional treatment options are under consideration.

As for Zastryzny, he returned the Majors in 2022 after a three-year absence and tossed four innings between the Mets and Angels. Pittsburgh inked him to a minor league deal over the winter, and he parlayed a strong spring performance into the first Opening Day roster of his career at age 31.

Unfortunately, that impressive spring showing — 7 1/3 scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, one walk — has given way to quick struggles early in the season. He appeared in seven games and yielded five runs on six hits and five walks (one intentional) in 5 2/3 innings before hitting the injured list. The diagnosis of ulnar neuritis is the same as the one that just led to Rays southpaw Jeffrey Springs’ Tommy John surgery, though the injury has a wide breadth of possible outcomes.

Ulnar neuritis, by its most simple definition, is inflammation of the ulnar nerve. Over the past several years we’ve seen everything from minimal IL stints (Jordan Romano), to ulnar nerve transposition surgery (Michael Fulmer) to Springs’ more recent Tommy John surgery. As with many injuries, each case is unique and comes with its own outlook. In Zastryzny’s case, there’s been no indication to this point that he’ll require surgery, but a prolonged absence is in store. Like Choi, he’ll be a 60-day IL candidate whenever the Pirates need a 40-man roster spot.

With both Garcia and Zastryzny out for extended periods of time, the only lefty in the Pittsburgh bullpen is Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez. The Buccos don’t have any minor league lefties on the 40-man roster, but former big leaguers Caleb Smith, Daniel Zamora and Angel Perdomo are all in Triple-A. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see Pittsburgh keep an eye out for some depth via waivers; the Giants just designated Sam Long for assignment this morning, for instance, and he’d be one speculative option. If not him, other southpaws will surely be made available via DFA in the coming weeks.

Pirates Place Rob Zastryzny On 15-Day Injured List

By | at

Prior to today’s game, the Pirates placed left-hander Rob Zastryzny on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his throwing elbow.  Righty Yohan Ramirez was called up from Triple-A to take Zastryzny’s spot on the active roster.

Zastryzny pitched just yesterday, facing four batters and recording one out in an appearance against the Cardinals.  With a hit and two walks amidst those four batters faced, Zastryzny clearly wasn’t sharp, and it’s safe to assume that his elbow issue impacted his performance.  The concern now is whether or not Zastryzny might be facing a more serious injury, as Pirates senior VP of baseball operations Bryan Stroh said today in a radio appearance that Zastryzny will be visiting a specialist when the club returns to Pittsburgh on Monday.

After being non-tendered by the Angels during the offseason, Zastryzny signed a minor league deal with the Pirates and broke camp with the club.  Even before Saturday’s outing against St. Louis, it hadn’t been smooth sailing for Zastryzny, as he has a 7.94 ERA over 5 2/3 total innings this season.  Control has been the biggest problem, as the lefty has almost as many walks (five) as strikeouts (six).

This is Zastryzny’s fifth MLB season, as he returned to the Show in 2022 after not getting any big league action in any of the previous three years.  The southpaw pitched for the Cubs in 2016-18, then spent the next three seasons pitching on minor league deals (with the Dodgers, Orioles, and Marlins) and with the independent Long Island Ducks.

With Zastryzny now sidelined, Jose Hernandez is the only left-hander in Pittsburgh’s bullpen, as Jarlin Garcia is on the 60-day IL due to a nerve injury in his biceps area.  Caleb Smith, Angel Perdomo, and Daniel Zamora are lefties with MLB experience who are pitching at Triple-A, but the Pirates would first have to make a 40-man roster move to add any of the three southpaws to their active roster.

Pirates Designate Ryan Vilade For Assignment

By | at

The Pirates announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Ryan Vilade for assignment and selected the contracts of left-hander Rob Zastryzny and catcher Jason Delay, both of whom were in spring training as non-roster invitees. Lefty Jarlin Garcia (nerve injury) was placed on the 60-day injured list to open a second spot on the 40-man roster. Righties JT Brubaker (right elbow discomfort) and Robert Stephenson (right elbow inflammation) have both been placed on the 15-day injured list as well.

Vilade, 24, was claimed off waivers from the Rockies back in November. He ranked among Colorado’s best prospects just one year ago but struggled in his second go through the Triple-A level, slashing a tepid .249/.345/.352 with five homers and ten steals through 99 games in that hitter-friendly setting. Originally drafted as a shortstop, Vilade has moved down the defensive spectrum, first shifting to third base before a move to the outfield corners. He went just 3-for-18 without an extra-base hit this spring, finishing with a .167/.211/.167 line in 19 trips to the plate. The Pirates will have a week to trade Vilade, release him or pass him through outright waivers.

Zastryzny, 31, returned to the Majors in 2022 after a three-year layoff and tossed four innings between the Mets and Angels. He’s making the first Opening Day roster of his 10-year professional career, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic points out (Twitter link). Zastryzny earned it this spring, punching out 10 of his 29 opponents against one walk while firing 7 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

In parts of four big league seasons, mostly with the Cubs, Zastryzny has a 4.66 ERA and a 34-to-17 K/BB ratio in 38 2/3 innings of work. His Triple-A numbers across six seasons are generally similar, albeit with slightly better strikeout and walk rates. Zastryzny will give manager Derek Shelton a second lefty in the ’pen, joining Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez.

Delay, 28, made his big league debut with the Bucs in 2022 but was removed from the 40-man roster and re-signed to a minor league deal. He had a rough showing in camp, going just 3-for-20 with three walks, but he’s a strong defensive backstop and likely landed the backup gig by virtue of his glove. Delay posted plus framing marks last season, has a career 31% caught-stealing rate in the minors and was credited with two Defensive Runs Saved in 436 innings behind the dish last year. He beat out fellow non-roster invitees Kevin Plawecki and Tyler Heineman and will open the season as the backup to defensive standout Austin Hedges.

Garcia’s placement on the 60-day IL comes as little surprise. The team announced he’d be shut down midway through camp, and after a ten days of not throwing, they further announced that he was dealing with a nerve injury in his biceps and would continue to be shut down for as many as four to five weeks. He’ll need to completely build back up after that delay. Stephenson pitched just two innings this spring and was slowed by elbow discomfort, and Shelton acknowledged last week that an IL stint was likely.

There’s more concern with regard to Brubaker. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted this morning that Brubaker’s elbow injury is “not minor” and the Pirates fear there’s a chance he could be lost for the season. The team hasn’t provided a formal diagnosis or update beyond today’s placement on the injured list, but additional news on Brubaker will likely follow in the near future. The 29-year-old Brubaker made 28 starts last season and pitched to a 4.69 ERA but with much more encouraging marks in FIP (3.92) and SIERA (3.97).

Each MLB Team’s Players On WBC Rosters

By | at

The World Baseball Classic is returning this year, the first time since 2017. The quadrennial event was supposed to take place in 2021 but was scuttled by the pandemic, now returning after a six-year absence. Rosters for the tournament were announced today and those can be found at this link. Here is a breakdown of which players from each MLB team are set to take participate. Quick caveat that this list is fluid and might be changed as more information becomes available.

Without further ado…

Angels

Astros

Athletics

Blue Jays

Braves

Brewers

Cardinals

Cubs

Diamondbacks

Dodgers

Giants

Guardians

Marlins

Mariners

Mets

Nationals

Orioles

Padres

Phillies

Pirates

Rangers

Rays

Red Sox

Reds

Rockies

Royals

Tigers

Twins

White Sox

Yankees

Pirates Announce Several Minor League Deals

By | at

The Pirates announced six minor league deals to reporters today, with Justice delos Santos of MLB.com among those to relay them on Twitter. They include the previously reported deals for catcher Tyler Heineman, as well as right-handers Tyler Chatwood and Nate Webb. Also included in the announcement are three left-handers: Daniel Zamora, Rob Zastryzny and Ángel Perdomo.

Zamora, 30 in April, will be returning to his original organization, as he was drafted by the Pirates in 2015. He was later traded to the Mets and made his major league debut with them. He’s seen scattered MLB action in recent years, reaching the big in 2018, 2019 and 2021, logging 22 innings with a 4.50 ERA. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers for 2022, tossing 63 Triple-A innings with a 3.86 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 41.6% ground ball rate.

Zastryzny, 31 in March, pitched for the Cubs from 2016 to 2018 but didn’t make it to the big leagues in the three subsequent seasons. He returned in 2022, making one appearance for the Mets and three for the Angels after a waiver claim. He spent most of the year in Triple-A between the two organizations, throwing 55 1/3 innings with a 3.42 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. He was non-tendered by the Halos in November.

Perdomo, 29 in May, made 22 appearances with the Brewers over 2020 and 2021 but struggled to the tune of an 8.24 ERA. The Rays claimed him off waivers from the Brewers in July but neither team called him up to the big leagues. He ended up throwing 34 innings in the minors between the two clubs, posting a 1.85 ERA while striking out an incredible 40.3% of batters faced but walking 12.9% of them.

These three southpaws will give the Bucs an extra layer of depth in terms of left-handed relief. Right now, the club only has two lefties on their 40-man roster in Jarlín García and Jose Hernandez, the latter of those two being a recent Rule 5 draftee from the Dodgers. If any of this group separates themselves from the pack, there could be a role for them. All three of them have limited service time, meaning they could be retained cheaply for future seasons if they crack the roster. However, they are all out of options, meaning they can’t easily be sent back down to the minors afterwards.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top