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Bucs make trade to bolster pitching staff
PITTSBURGH - Pirates pitchers Ian Snell and Phil Dumatrait are improving from arm ailments each day. That's fine, except it's unlikely either one will be able to throw in this weekend's series against Tampa Bay.
That leaves two openings in the starting rotation. If the Pirates know who they are bringing in to fill them, they aren't saying.
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Bautista is scheduled to arrive Thursday.
He has made 21 career starts but will pitch in middle relief according to Pirates general manager Neal Huntington.
"He's a nice addition," Huntington said. "He's an upgrade over what we currently have."
When Bautista arrives, the Pirates will need to make a corresponding move on the 25-man roster in order to fill Friday's pitching vacancy, though Huntington said that likely won't occur until after Thursday's game. The same goes for Saturday's starting pitcher, which will be likely be announced after Friday's game.
Dumatrait is on the disabled list with bursitis in his left shoulder. Snell, who has tendonitis in his right elbow, played catch from 60 feet on flat ground Wednesday. Pirates manager John Russell wouldn't rule out that Snell could pitch Saturday, but that scenario remains unlikely.
Despite never having elbow pain like this before, Snell said he wasn't concerned when the injury occurred.
"I've had worse things happen to be scared about," Snell said.
"I'm just glad I didn't have to have surgery."
Bautista, 27, began this season with Detroit and was 0-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 16 games with 19 innings pitched. Bautista struck out 10 and walked 14 before being designated for assignment June 20.
"Our scouts have seen a (good) breaking ball from him and a (good) third pitch at times," Huntington said. "His struggle has obviously been consistency of strikes."
In his five-year major league career, Bautista has also pitched for Baltimore, Kansas City and Colorado.
He has a 4-11 record with a 6.42 ERA in 51 games, 21 starts and 30 in relief.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Bautista, the Pirates unconditionally released outfielder Kevin Thompson, who was with Class AAA Indianapolis and underwent successful surgery on his left hand Tuesday.
Nady better
Outfielder Xavier Nady is very close to playing, perhaps as early as Thursday's series finale against New York.
Nady, out since June 14 with a left shoulder contusion suffered in Baltimore, took another full round of batting practice and was available for late-inning duty if necessary.
"He's very close in what we've seen and how he feels," Russell said. "We'll try to get him in there as soon as possible."
King for a day
John Challis, a Freedom High School student and baseball player who has terminal liver cancer, was named "Honorary Manager" for the day.
Challis, a co-founder of the Courage For Life Foundation, was given his own locker and spoke to the team before the game. He also threw out the ceremonial first pitch and took out the lineup card.
Despite being named manager for a day of the Pirates, there was one player Challis wanted to meet - Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Getting offensive
Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth leads the National League with 26 doubles and is third with 44 extra-base hits and 59 runs scored. He also leads National League center fielders with 15 home runs, 49 RBI and a .547 slugging percentage. ... The Pirates were 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position Tuesday and are tied for third in the majors with the Chicago Cubs with a .285 average in those situations.
