Former Pirates Pitcher Placed on Waivers

PITTSBURGH — A former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher is now on waivers, after a recent stint with an American League team.

The New York Yankees announced that they designated right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker for assignment, amongst a slew of roster moves.

Brubaker landed with the Yankees after the Pirates traded him and international bonus signing money there on March 29, 2024 for a player to be named later, which eventually was second baseman Keiner Delgado, who is currently with High-A Greensboro.

He underwent Tommy John surgery on April 12, 2023. missing all of that season and then spent the 2024 campaign rehabbing.

Brubaker dealt with left rib fractures early on in 2025, which prevented him from pitching until May 18. He made six rehab starts before the Yankees activated him from the 60-day injured list and placed him on the 26-man MLB roster.

His first appearance came vs. the Baltimore Orioles at Yankees Stadium on June 21, which marked 991 days from his last outing at the MLB level, which was his final for the Pirates on Oct. 4, 2022.

Brubaker made 12 appearances out of the bullpen for the Yankees, finishing with a 3.38 ERA over 16.0 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts to nine walks, a .189 opposing batting average and a 1.19 WHIP.

The Pirates took Brubaker with the 187th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Akron and he would make his MLB debut on July 26, 2020.

He served as a starting pitcher for the Pirates throughout the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons, before taking a bullpen role with the Yankees.

Brubaker had a 5-13 record over 24 starts in 2021 and then a 3-12 record over 28 starts in 2022, as the Pirates finished with back-to-back 100-loss seasons for the first time since 1952-54, almost 70 years prior.

He finished his time in Pittsburgh with a 9-28 record over 63 games and 61 starts, a 4.99 ERA over 315.2 innings pitched, 324 strikeouts to 109 walks and a 1.38 WHIP.

Right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller is the only Pirates pitcher that is still in the starting rotation from when Brubaker was there in 2022.