Pirates' José Urquidy Aiming for Strong Start vs. Rays

PITTSBURGH — José Urquidy hasn't had the Spring Training he has wanted from the mound, but he'll get another shot with the Pittsburgh Pirates in their upcoming game.

Urquidy starts for the Pirates as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla. on March 15, marking his third start in the Grapefruit League and fourth start in Spring Training.

The Pirates signed Urquidy to a one-year, $1.5 million deal, giving him a chance at that final spot in the starting rotation and a reunion with pitching coach Bill Murphy, as the two were together on the Houston Astros.

Urquidy struggled in his first start vs. the Minnesota Twins at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. on Feb. 26, where he gave up three earned runs in the second inning, only getting four outs, which included a scoreless first inning.

His other Grapefruit League start was against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. on March 9.

Urquidy pitched into the fourth inning, but gave up solo home runs to Giancarlo Stanton on a hanging curveball and four-seam fastball in the top of the zone, plus an RBI-double, as he allowed three earned runs over 3.2 innings of work with no strikeouts.

He had a solid start vs. Team Colombia in an exhibition at LECOM Park back on March 3, where he threw three scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and a walk, while getting three strikeouts in the 7-1 victory

Urquidy has mostly relied on his four-seam fastball, but has also gone with his changeup and curveball as well for offspeed. His sinker and cutter have also given him some other pitches to use at times.

One of the more interesting things about Urquidy is that he pitches better against left-handed batters than right-handed batters, especially considering he is a right-handed pitcher.

His split in his last full season in 2023 was a .215 batting average against lefties compared to a .293 batting average against righties.

Urquidy is the most veteran option for the fifth and final spot in the rotation and a strong start vs. the Rays will give him the chance to show he can do that from the beginning of the season and onward.

Other Lineup Notes for the Pirates

• Konnor Griffin is back at shortstop for the Pirates for his 11th start of Spring Training and will hit ninth in the batting order for a second time.