Pittsburgh Pirates News: Team Announces Changes to Starting Rotation

PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 27: Chad Kuhl #39 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during Opening Day at PNC Park on July 27, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 27: Chad Kuhl #39 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during Opening Day at PNC Park on July 27, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced changes to their starting rotation that will start to take affect this weekend in Cincinnati

So far this season the Pittsburgh Pirates have watched their pitching staff get ravaged by injuries. The latest injury has been suffered by starting pitcher Joe Musgrove, who was scratched from his most recent start this past Sunday.

With Musgrove now on the injured list, three pitchers who were projected to be in team’s Opening Day starting rotation are now on the IL. Additionally, Jameson Taillon will miss the entire season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

So far this season the team has been piggybacking starts between Chad Kuhl and Steven Brault. Now that Musgrove is on the IL, the team will be ditching the piggybacking.

It will be exciting to see the piggybacking end. Each of the last two times the Pittsburgh Pirates have started Kuhl or Brault, they were pulled prematurely by manager Derek Shelton while they were cruising due to predetermined piggybacking plans.

So far this season Kuhl has been electric for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has looked like a pitcher that still has a bright future ahead of him in the Pirate starting rotation, and it will be exciting to see what he can do as a starting pitcher.

In 9 innings pitched this season Kuhl owns a 2.00 ERA and a 2.81 FIP. He’s allowed six hits, just one home run, walked three, and struck out 12.

As for Brault, his overall numbers are pulled down due to an outing last Friday in which he failed to record an out. The lefty has pitched 7 innings this season, allowing just four hits, no home runs and he has struck out a batter. However, he has also walked six. This has led to him owning a 5.14 ERA and a 4.32 FIP.

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Both Kuhl and Brault have to be excited to return to being normal starting pitchers as well. Kuhl has always been a starter in his professional career, and Brault has spent more time as a starter than reliever. So, it is what they are both most comfortable doing as well.