Jameson Taillon and Chad Kuhl will miss their next scheduled turns in the rotation as the Pirates attempt to limit their workload during the final month of the season.
Right-hander Drew Hutchison will start Saturday rather than Kuhl. Gerrit Cole was already scheduled to come off the disabled list and pitch Monday, in Taillon’s normal spot, but Taillon will skip his start rather than pitching a day later.
“It’s basically the innings, just modifying and taking care of the innings pitched,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
Taillon, 24, has pitched 149⅔ innings between Class AAA Indianapolis and the majors this season, surpassing his season high set in 2013. He did not pitch in 2014 after elbow surgery and threw only 35 or 40 innings in simulated games and the instructional league in 2015. Taillon has a 3.27 ERA in 15 major league starts.
Kuhl, who will turn 24 Saturday, has pitched 134⅓ innings this year. He reached at least 150 innings in the minors in each of the past two seasons. In his most recent start, he completed only two innings and allowed three runs, three walks and four hits.
Hurdle said the Pirates considered both Hutchison and Trevor Williams for the start, but Williams pitched three innings Wednesday. Tyler Glasnow was not a candidate and will continue to be available in relief.
“Maybe some shorter looks initially just to fine-tune some things and get case-specific and tactic-specific,” Hurdle said of Glasnow. “The delivery. Nail the delivery. The release point, because things have kind of gone — there’s been hot and cold. We’re looking for some consistency, so may be shrink-wrap the idea of a two-inning stint.”
Schugel on the mend
As A.J. Schugel discussed the arm issue that has kept him out since Aug. 30, an electro-stimulation machine pumped current through his right shoulder, causing it to contract and relax.
“I’ve felt it here and there,” Schugel said, “but nothing to keep me out for this extended period of time.”
Schugel felt the pain in the front of his shoulder after pitching on consecutive days at the end of August. He took three days off, but after resuming throwing he knew something was still off.
“When I try to accelerate, going through acceleration to get something on a fastball, it wasn’t there,” he said. “It wasn’t my normal throwing motion.”
Schugel has not had an MRI. He has a 3.63 ERA in 52 innings this season.
Bell in the outfield
Josh Bell was slated to start in right field Thursday for the first time in the majors. He spent the first three seasons in pro ball playing right field before moving to first base in the 2014 Arizona Fall League.
To re-acclimate himself with the position, Bell played right field in Class AAA Indianapolis once a week and took fly balls during batting practice.
“I don’t think they had to knock a whole lot of dust off of it,” Hurdle said. “Wanted to get his bat back in the lineup and thought this might be a creative way to do it.”
Gregory Polanco was to play left field with Starling Marte still out due to back spasms. Hurdle was unsure when Marte would be ready but said, “He walked out on the field [Wednesday] night after the game. I said, it reminded me of myself in 2014 going out there to make pitching changes.”
Hurdle had two hip replacements after the 2014 season.
Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.
First Published: September 8, 2016, 9:20 p.m.
