Pirates Wandy Rodriguez Rehab Start Mixed Bag

The healthy return of Wandy Rodriguez is big news for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates left hander Wandy Rodriguez made his first rehab start for the Altoona Curve.  Rodriguez rolled through the first two innings retiring the first six Erie Sea Wolves batters he faced allowing no hits, no runs and three strikeouts.   He got first pitch strikes with the same low velocity stuff he displayed in Pittsburgh and kept Erie off balance with a nice mix.

But in the third, trouble began.  He fell behind in the count and gave up an opposite field, two run homer to Francisco Martinez while escaping with two Sea Wolves on the base paths.

The Curve provided the Bucs southpaw with plenty of run support putting up five on the scoreboard over the first three innings.  Alen Hanson lead off with a homer, Gift Ngoepe and Willy Garcia also homered.  Stetson Alllie doubled and Mel Rojas, Jr. plated him.

Wandy’s pitch count limit was 75 and he threw 74.  He could last just 3.1 innings, allowed four hits and three earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts.  The Bucs southpaw still has some serious work to do before he returns to Pittsburgh.  It’s hard to imagine him making another start for the Bucs until he gets right, but rotting away on the DL also will do nothing for his value should the Bucs look to move him before the deadline this season.  It won’t be easy to tell a veteran making a healthy paycheck he won’t be pitching for the club anytime soon, but it’s a very easy decision in our eyes.

Some tweets from the action in Erie.