OnlyBucs

from MLB Trade rumors



he Pirates have shut lefty Steven Brault down for the next month or so due to a “moderate arm muscle strain,” director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk tells reporters (Twitter links via Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic and Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette). Because of the fairly lengthy shutdown, Brault will need to be built back up before returning to a game setting. His total absence could stretch anywhere from 10 to 12 weeks in length.



Brault exited his most recent Grapefruit League start with tightness, which the club eventually revealed to be a lat strain. The team’s update today did not specify the grade of the strain, but a fairly lengthy absence for Brault nevertheless alters the team’s rotation outlook substantially. After trading away Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon this winter, Brault was the team’s most experienced incumbent option on the starting staff.

Looks like the Pirates won't see Brault in Pittsburgh to mid-June at the earliest. This is not good. While Brault is not a great pitcher, he is (was) one of the better starting options on the current team.



The starting pitching options were limited coming into the season and are now even a bit thinner.

6D41494E4562554353200 wrote: Looks like the Pirates won't see Brault in Pittsburgh to mid-June at the earliest.  This is not good.   While Brault is not a great pitcher, he is (was) one of the better starting options on the current team.



The starting pitching options were limited coming into the season [highlight]and are now even a bit thinner.[/highlight]    


What will be interesting to see is the number of innings the team gets from the rotation this year. I don't know if records are kept on such things but this group of starters may end up pitching the fewest innings of any rotation ever. Consider how far down they'll have to reach to find guys to start. There could be 15 or more guys start a game this season.

Unbelievable

I know athletes are better conditioned these days

However you never saw a 10-12 week recovery time for strains 30-40 years ago

I think the doctors a way conservative due to the value/salaries the players are getting these days

I'll be surprised if we see Brault at all this year. They'll probably rest him for a month, take a look again and then schedule TJ. At least that's my prediction.



Brault's not great (not even sure he's very good), but he's a live MLB arm, and he's a lefty, and man we needed him.

Is it time yet to give Rick Porcello or Mike Leake a call?



With virtually no minor league ball last year, hard to know what you can count on from folks who should have been pitching at AA or AAA last year.

On the plus side, Elijah Green!

Brault has not been put on the 60-man, but I wonder if that shoe will drop before the season begins. We have a 40-man crunch. Placing Brault on the 60 could allow us to keep a pitcher who is out of options. Maybe Feliz.

557F744473656569060 wrote: Brault has not been put on the 60-man, but I wonder if that shoe will drop before the season begins. We have a 40-man crunch. Placing Brault on the 60 could allow us to keep a pitcher who is out of options. Maybe Feliz.
Brault is likely to go on the 60-day list.



Per the PG:

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pir ... 2103240107



The tough part for Brault is that it likely won’t be a four-week absence. As Tomczyk explained, for every week Brault misses, it could require twice that much to rebuild arm strength. Under the most ideal circumstances, Brault could be looking at more than two months of missed time.

Cederlind should clear another spot when he goes on the 60, which gives us 2. Who else can easily be removed? I'd like to see De Jong, Holmes, and Frazier added, and maybe Difo.