Pirates Injury Update: Marco Gonzales and Hunter Stratton surgeries, Ke'Bryan Hayes struggles

Set to undergo his second forearm surgery in just over a year, left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales has likely played his last game in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform.

Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported Thursday that Gonzales will undergo left flexor tendon surgery in early September and is expected to be sidelined for nine to 12 months. The Pirates placed Gonzales on the 60-day injured list with a left forearm strain Aug. 12, effectively shutting him down for the rest of the season. He finished the 2024 campaign with a 4.54 ERA and 1.60 WHIP, along with 23 strikeouts over 33.2 innings of work.

Gonzales made just seven starts as a serviceable, back-of-the-rotation option for the Pirates, who acquired him from the Atlanta Braves in a trade this past offseason. His final two starts with Pittsburgh were decidedly his worst, resulting in nine runs on 15 hits and five walks in only seven innings.

Gonzales' contract technically contains a $15 million club option for 2025, but the Pirates are almost certain to decline it. As such, the veteran southpaw is set to become a free agent after this season.

Pirates' Hunter Stratton undergoes knee surgery following season-ending injury, Ke'Bryan Hayes looking for answers

Stumpf also reported that relief pitcher Hunter Stratton underwent surgery on his left knee Tuesday to repair the patella tendon rupture he suffered during last Saturday's loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Like Gonzales, Stratton is expected to be sidelined from competition for several months due to his injury (seven to 10 months, to be exact); but unlike Gonzales, he is expected to return to the Pirates once healthy.

Stratton made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 2023 and is under team control for five more seasons beyond the current campaign. He has a 3.26 ERA with a 21% strikeout rate and 4.9% walk rate over 49 2/3 innings of work over the past two seasons with Pittsburgh, likely pitching his way into the club's future plans for the bullpen.

In a best-case scenario, Stratton could be fully recovered by the end of spring training next season. If his recovery time is on the latter end of the projected timeline, he could still be back with the Pirates next year.

One injured Pirates player whose return timeline is less clear, however, is third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes. The 27-year-old landed on the IL for the second time this season on Aug. 19 due to recurring issues with his back, and Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Wednesday that the club was still "looking to learn more" about Hayes' injury woes.

The Pirates have no timeline for Hayes' return to baseball activity. Per Hiles' interview with Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, it's still too early to say whether the Gold Glove-winning third baseman will play again this season. Given his injury history, though, the odds of seeing him play again in 2024 aren't great.

More Pirates content from Rum Bunter