Pirates Believe Good News is Coming From Kirby Yates

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates recently lost right-handed relief pitcher Kirby Yates to injury, but it's likely he returns in the near future.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke on Yates' latest injury on The Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan that he should come back once they can activate him off the injured list.

Yates went on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 31, with right shoulder impingement, so he could reutrn on Sept. 15, ahead of the Pirates' final homestand.

“We’re certainly hopeful," Cherington said. "I think, our anticipation right now is we’re going to see him active again, hopefully not too long, right around his eligibility date. That’s our hope. We’ll see how he progresses.

“This is just one where, when you have a guy like Kirby, who’s been pitching as long and as effectively as he has, if you open their arms up, you’re going to find stuff. That’s just the nature of pitching in the major leagues for as long as he has. 

"Every once in a while, and he’s really avoided issues remarkably well over the course of his career. He really hasn’t spent much time on the IL, or at with least shoulder, hasn’t really had that, but every once in a while, all that stuff that accumulates over 25 years of pitching fires up, where it’s just, alright, we got to let this thing calm down a little bit..."

Pirates Benefitting From Yates' Bullpen Presence

The Pirates traded for Yates at the Aug. 4 deadline, landing him from the Los Angeles Angels for right-handed pitching prospect Kyle Robinson.

Yates was solid for the Pirates out of the bullpen, with a 2.19 ERA over 13 appearances and 12.1 innings pitched, 11 strikeouts to five walks, a .239 batting average allowed and a 1.30 WHIP.