Pirates Bullpen Arm Starts Rehab Assignment

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher returned to the mound for the first time since an injury early last month.

Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Chase Shugart started his rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on Aug. 3 and started vs. the Clearwater Threshers, the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Shugart allowed an earned run off of a walk and a double, but ended his outing with a fly out and a strikeout, throwing 22 pitches over an inning of work.

The last game that Shugart pitched the last game for the Pirates in the series opener vs. the Kansas City Royals at Kaufmann Stadium on July 7. He tied his season-high with four earned runs allowed and a season-high two home runs allowed over 2.2 innings and 42 pitches in a 9-2 defeat.

Pittsburgh placed Shugart on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation on July 8 and this marks his first time pitching in a live game since then.

The Pirates landed Shugart in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Jan. 17, for fellow right-handed pitcher Matt McShane.

Shugart started the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, before the Pirates recalled him on April 6, placing fellow right-handed relief pitcher Colin Holderman on the 15-day injured list with a left knee sprain.

He came out of the bullpen three times over the next six days with the Pirates, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing no runs, just two hits and two walks and posting two strikeouts.

The Pirates then optioned Shugart back to Indianapolis on April 12 as they recalled catcher Henry Davis.

Shugart then returned to Pittsburgh on April 15, as the Pirates recalled him and placed catcher/infielder Endy Rodríguez on the injured list with a right index finger laceration.

He has played with the Pirates since then and has a 4-3 record in 32 appearances this season, with a 3.69 ERA over 39.0 innings pitched, 22 strikeouts to 15 walks and a .214 opposing batting average.

Shugart has done well for most of the season, allowing 11 of his 16 earned runs in just three appearances. He has 25 scoreless outings of the 32 he's appeared in for Pittsburgh and only given up two runs or more in four games.

The Pirates currently have a bullpen consisting of right-handed pitchers in Braxton Ashcraft, Isaac Mattson, Dauri Moreta, Carmen Mlodzinski, Yohan Ramírez and Dennis Santana, plus left-handed pitchers in Génesis Cabrera and Ryan Borucki.