The Pirates now have six right-handed pitchers in their bullpen, incuding Isaac Mattson, Carmen Mlodzisnki, Yohan Ram\u00edrez and Dennis Santana, plus Kelly and Harrington, as well as two left-handed pitchers in Mason Montgomery and Gretory Soto.<\/p>\n
Pirates Hoping Rookies Can Fix Bullpen<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh is looking for any help for their bullpen, as they’ve been one of the worst in baseball, lacking reliable arms and consistent performances.<\/p>\n
Harrington struggled last season<\/a> with the Pirates, with a 15.58 ERA over three outings, which included his first MLB start vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on April 1, 2025, where he allowed six runs over four innings.<\/p>\n Apr 1, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Thomas Harrington (78) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n He did manage to get a four-inning save vs. the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7, but only made one more appearance with the Pirates, allowing six earned runs over just two-thirds of an innings in relief in the infamous 17-16 defeat to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n It’s not been a great season for Harrington at Indianapolis, where he’s posted a 1-5 record in 20 outings and six starts, a 6.52 ERA over 58.0 innings pitched, 56 strikeouts to 26 walks, a .282 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.59 WHIP.<\/p>\n Kelly made one appearance for the Pirates in 2026, giving up two earned runs over 2.1 innings in relief in the 8-3 loss to the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on June 12 in his MLB debut<\/a>, before they sent him back down to Triple-A the next day.<\/p>\n He has pitched better than Harrington for Indianapolis, with a 4-5 record over 12 starts and 17 outings, a 4.85 ERA over 68.2 innings pitched, 54 strikeouts to 33 walks, a .262 BAA and a 1.50 WHIP.<\/p>\n Both pitchers can provide longer outings than normal, so expect the Pirates to have them in multi-inning roles early on. <\/p>\n Kelly hasn’t pitched since July 3 and Harrington hasn’t pitched since July 4, so both will serve as immediate options for this series vs. the Brewers, July 10-12. <\/p>\n What Demotions Mean for Sanders and Stratton<\/p>\n This marks the fifth time that the Pirates have sent Sanders back down to Triple-A and if they do so one more time, they’ll have to expose him to waivers before hand.<\/p>\n Sanders threw two scoreless outings when he came back for the Pirates, 1.2 innings in the 10-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 1 and then one inning in the 7-1 win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 4. <\/p>\n His most recent outing was poor, giving up three runs over just two-thirds of an inning, including a two-run home run in the 10-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on July 9.<\/p>\n Jul 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Cam Sanders (64) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Sanders has posted an 8.68 ERA over nine appearances and 9.1 innings in 2026, with 13 strikeouts to 10 walks, a .250 BAA and a 2.04 WHIP.<\/p>\n Stratton joined the Pirates after they traded for him<\/a>, sending catcher Joey Bart to the Braves on June 18. <\/p>\n He earned his call-up back on July 4 and pitched in two games vs. the Braves at PNC Park on July 7 and July 9, giving up two earned runs over 2.1 innings pitched.<\/p>\n Stratton could still feature for the Pirates later this season, but the Pirates want more middle-relief options at the moment and those that are ready to pitch immediately, as Stratton needs a day of rest before going again.<\/p>\n![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kx6mjnh89b9zenvmqb.jpg\" "\\"Pittsburgh")
<\/p>\n![\"ittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kx6n42esnanvemm4h6.jpg\" "\\"ittsburgh")
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