Confusing Pirates bullpen call-up has fans asking questions (but there's a simple answer)

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a roster move Thursday that immediately raised more questions than it answered.

Just as Chris Devenski became eligible to return from his two-game suspension, Pittsburgh instead placed the veteran right-hander on the 15-day injured list with what the club described only as an “illness.” No additional details were provided, and the vague nature of the announcement is naturally going to spark concern among fans already frustrated by the state of the bullpen.

To fill the roster spot, the Pirates recalled right-hander Cam Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis. On paper, Sanders is a logical depth move. In reality, it’s probably not the move most Pirates fans wanted to see.

A large portion of the fanbase immediately began asking why Wilber Dotel wasn’t the choice instead after the electric impression he made during his first stint in the majors. Dotel allowed just one run on two hits over 6.2 innings while consistently lighting up radar guns at 100 MPH. Even after surrendering a home run to Junior Caminero in his debut, he looked composed, confident and capable of handling major league hitters.

But the Pirates’ hands were essentially tied here. Dotel was optioned back to Triple-A on April 28, and under MLB’s roster rules as of 2026, pitchers who are optioned to the minors must remain there for at least 15 days before they can be recalled — unless they are replacing a player placed on the major league injured list.

While Devenski technically was placed on the IL, teams are still generally cautious about manipulating those exceptions too aggressively, especially this early in the season. So Sanders — who was on the taxi squad and already with the team for their west coast road trip — got the call instead.

Pirates recall Cam Sanders as Chris Devenski heads to 15-day IL with undisclosed illness

The problem is that Sanders hasn’t exactly inspired confidence so far this year. He allowed four runs in just three innings during his previous major league stint and has struggled badly at Indianapolis, posting a 5.19 ERA and a 2.44 WHIP. Those are difficult numbers to overlook, even acknowledging the chaos that can come with small-sample bullpen performances.

This likely leaves Sanders in a low-leverage role while the Pirates try to simply absorb innings until reinforcements arrive — and reinforcements almost certainly are coming.

Dotel still feels like a pitcher the Pirates view as part of their bullpen mix moving forward, especially given the raw stuff and composure he showed during his debut stint. Assuming he stays healthy and continues throwing strikes at Indianapolis, it would be surprising if he isn’t back in Pittsburgh relatively soon.

For now, though, Pirates fans will have to hope that Sanders can help stabilize what is already a very shaky front end of the bullpen — or that the rest of the starting rotation can follow Paul Skenes' lead and pitch eight shutout innings every night.

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