The Pittsburgh Pirates will be getting a reinforcement in the bullpen for tonight’s game against the Detroit Tigers
Right-handed reliever George Kontos is officially part of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 25-man roster. After the Bucs acquired Kontos off waivers from the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, he was added to the active roster today.
After spending the past six seasons with the Giants, George Kontos will now embark on a new journey with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kontos is under team control through the 2019 season, so he would appear to be a new mainstay in the Pirate bullpen.
During his six seasons in San Francisco George Kontos pitched 309 2/3 innings. He averaged 7.32 K/9, 2.62 BB/9, 0.90 HR/9, and 7.8 H/9. This gave him a 3.05 ERA and a 3.70 FIP in 300 games with the Giants dating back to 2012.
While with the Giants, Kontos also pitched in the postseason on two occasions and won a pair of World Series rings (2012, 2014). These postseason appearances came in 2012 and 2016. He pitched a combined 7 1/3 innings during these two postseasons. In 2014, he missed the postseason due to injury.
In 51 2/3 innings pitched this season George Kontos owns a 3.83 ERA, 4.01 FIP, and a career-high 9.58 K/9. Also, his 3.55 xFIP indicates that if he continues to pitch the way he has that the results should be better as the season progresses.
George Kontos would figure to become a pitcher that will be used in high leverage situations by Clint Hurdle. Hopefully, this will lessen the role of Joaquin Benoit.
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To make room for Kontos on the 25-man roster, the Pirates optioned right-handed reliever Dovydas Neverauskas back to Triple-A. In his first taste of the Major Leagues this season Neverauskas owns a 3.00 ERA and a 3.70 FIP in 9 innings pitched.
In those 9 innings Neverauskas has allowed 10 hits, a home run, he has walked 3, and he struck out 7. Yesterday, he tossed a pair of scoreless innings to help catapult the Pirates to an extra innings victory. Pirate fans can expect to see Neverauskas return as a September call up, if not sooner.