Pirates' Luke Weaver reveals bizarre issue that may be limiting his performance

The Pittsburgh Pirates made one of the most significant bullpen additions at the trade deadline when they acquired Luke Weaver from the New York Mets. Weaver has not only been one of the best relief pitchers in baseball over the past few years, he filled a massive need for the Pirates this season while also being signed through next season.

Since joining the Pirates his numbers have taken a dip from what they were with the Mets, and he recently revealed what one of the issues might be.

It's poison ivy.

Specifically, poison ivy that is preventing him from sleeping.

Pirates RP Luke Weaver reveals bizarre issue that may be limiting him

Weaver told Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports about the issue, and said it happened while in Miami a few weeks ago.

From Negron:

"I've had my own set of personal challenges over the last month, and I've kept them to myself, but at the end of the day, I've had almost a month worth of severe poison ivy," Weaver told me Wednesday. "To the point where I've just been in hives over my entire lower body. I got it in Miami (three weeks ago), so shortly after getting here. Brushed up against a bush and my body went into a really bad state. I've been fighting my own personal battle with sleep. I haven't slept in about a month, I wake up a lot. But that's my own deal. I'm trying to find ways every single day."

Since joining the Pirates Weaver has posted a 5.79 ERA in 10 appearances.

His ERA was only 1.84 with the New York Mets.

The Pirates' bullpen was a major issue throughout the first half of the season and played a major role in them losing a lot of games they seemed to have locked up. It is not an exaggeration to say that group probably cost them four or five winnable games in the first half. Given that they enter Friday with a five-game deficit in the wild-card race, that is a season-changing issue.

The Pirates did work to fix it at the deadline by acquiring Weaver, Kirby Yates, Camillo Doval and Lake Bacher. Even though Weaver has struggled, the bullpen has still done a complete 180 as a group in terms of its effectiveness.

If they can just get Weaver some relief from his poison ivy and allow him to sleep it might be even better.