Pirates Pitcher who was recently suspended lands on IL

A suspension followed by an illness-related IL stint is a difficult stretch for the veteran reliever, who made a remarkable comeback story of his own earlier this season after being struck in the head by a 103-mph line drive during spring training. Devenski had returned from that terrifying incident and established himself as a dependable late-game arm out of Pittsburgh’s bullpen before both setbacks arose.

Sanders steps back in as the immediate replacement. The right-hander was optioned to Indianapolis just last week after a rough appearance in which he surrendered four runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning. His most recent Triple-A work has been encouraging, however — and Pittsburgh’s coaching staff clearly views him as a trustworthy bridge option when the bullpen is shorthanded.

The Pirates bullpen has been in a constant state of flux in the early portion of the 2026 season. One of the big questions confronting the organization has been the depth of the relief corps, and Pittsburgh’s roster decisions have played into that. Now manager Don Kelly faces another challenge in managing a bullpen that has seen multiple arms come and go.

Sanders, 27, has mid-90s velocity and an ability to generate weak contact when his command is on. With Dennis Santana anchoring the back of the bullpen as closer and a number of middle relievers fighting for consistent roles, Sanders will need to prove quickly that his Triple-A stint served its purpose. For a Pirates team still searching for its footing in 2026, every arm matters — and Devenski’s timeline to return remains unknown.