Jul 30, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows (53) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Pirates Monitoring Starting Pitcher's Workload

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 9:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a young pitcher, who they are closely looking at, especially with his workload towards the end of the season.

Rookie right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows received his second callup this season on May 21 and has served as a part of the Pirates rotation since then.

Burrows has a 1-4 record over 15 outings and 14 starts for the Pirates in 2025, with a 4.66 ERA over 67.2 innings pitched, 69 strikeouts to 25 walks, a .234 opposing batting average and a 1.26 WHIP.

He also pitched in eight games with seven starts for Triple-A Indianapolis before, with a 2-1 record, a 2.51 ERA over 32.1 innings pitched, 41 strikeouts to 11 walks, a .195 opposing batting average and a 1.05 WHIP.

Burrows hit 100.0 innings pitched after his most recent outing vs. the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on Aug. 10, the most in his professional career so far.

His previous high was 94.2 innings pitched in 2022, with Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona, and his recent years haven't had any more than 64.1 innings pitched, which came in 2021 with High-A Greensboro and also with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League.

Burrows started just two games at Triple-A in 2023, before injuring his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), which resulted in him undergo Tommy John surgery on April 26, ending his season.

He didn't return back to pitching until June 2024, with his first rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Pirates. He finished with 51.1 innings pitched over his time with the FCL, Single-A Bradenton and Indianpolis, while also making his MLB debut late in the season with the Priates.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said that they are looking at Burrows' currenty workload and discussing with him potential options about how they should move forward in 2025, especially due to his injury history.

"Pretty mindful," Kelly said. "We're taking it into account. We're having discussions on that and we're gonna talk to Mike about it.

The Pirates currently have four starting pitchers along with Burrows, with right-handers in All-Star Paul Skenes and veteran Mitch Keller, as well as left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney.

Right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo will return from Indianapolis to the starting rotation, but the Pirates could also rely on fellow right-handed pitcher in Carmen Mlodzinski, currently in the bullpen, but started before Burrows took his spot.

The Pirates also have two right-handed pitching prospects that could provide extra innings if Burrows ends his season early, in Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington. MLB Pipeline ranks Chandler the seventh best prospect in baseball and Harrington as the ninth best prospect in the Pirates farm system.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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