Pirates Send Brandon Cumpton To AAA, Stolmy Pimentel to DL

The rumors are true and the Pittsburgh Pirates have placed Stolmy Pimentel on the 15-day disabled list today. The injury is being called right shoulder inflammation. In some puzzling news, the team has also sent Brandon Cumpton to Triple-A Indianapolis.  We said we would riot if Cumpton was sent to AAA.  Tonight we riot.  It will be a very peaceful riot in the comforts of our own company, but it will be a riot nonetheless.

The team has recalled the well traveled Jared Hughes and Vin Mazzaro who was pitching lights out at Indy.

The noticeable difference for Pimentel was his reduced velocity. The pitcher can reach the mid 90’s but has shown 89-90 numerous times and his average velocity on PitchF/X shows 90.7. He was acquired in the Joel Hanrahan trade last year and has been impressive at times since joining the Pirates. The only way he can remain with the club is being placed on the disabled list as he is out of minor league options.

Cumpton pitched insanely well in his time in Pittsburgh, so we trust his time back in Indy is very short.  It’s hard to imagine a pitcher having as many strong innings as the righty has provided being sent back to the minors, but apparently the Pirates have their reasons.   We know the club needed to move a pitcher out, but sending Cumpton down is just mind boggling.

The numbers simply don’t do any justice for what Cumpton has done during his time in MLB.  The Georgia Institute of Technology provided the team exactly what they needed, when they needed it.  I would have loved to hear the conversation surrounding this decision.  While we understand the moves forthcoming the team needed to make, for once it would be nice to see a performer rewarded.  No trip back to Indy for Cumpton, no….we are going to do the right thing and show players that when you perform at this level, we want you with us.  Ah, whatever, we are off to the basement to shot some nerf darts at the wall as a form of protest.  SMH.

Brandon Cumpton has been optioned back to Triple-A.

Hughes has given up some hits in a few of his outings as he has bounced back and forth from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis.  The sinker baller was talked about very highly by Neal Huntington the Pirates GM on his weekly radio show.  The sinker baller can gain some traction with a few solid appearances out of the Pirates bullpen.

Mazzaro was cut out of spring training, cleared waivers and accepted a return to Pittsburgh/Indy. The veteran pitched his way out of the International League and the team will be looking for some innings from the right hander.  The 27-year old allowed just three hits while striking out eight in 10.2 innings for the Tribe.

The team still needs a starter for Monday and we could very well see Jeanmar Gomez being shut down with some type of injury. Perhaps he might stub his toe tonight after the game with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Most expect Jeff Locke to get the start after Wandy Rodriguez’s poor rehab start for the Altoona Curve.