Pirates place left-handed starter Marco Gonzalez on the Injured List

It was bound to happen at some point Pirates fans. The team today announced that they placed left-handed starting pitcher Marco Gonzales on the 15-day Injured List. According to the Pirates transaction log, Gonzales is heading to the Injured List due to a left forearm strain.

This is concerning for many reasons. First and foremost, Gonzales missed from June on during the 2023 season as a result of having a nerve issue in his left forearm. While it is not being said that it is once again a nerve issue, one has to wonder if they are connected in any way. The other concern that pops up to me is his velocity. He is averaging just over 90 miles per hour for his four-seam fastball for the 2024 season. The last time he was over 90 miles per hour was in 2018. There were plenty of videos of Gonzales ramping up this offseason. Could an increase in velocity work this offseason potentially catching up to him?

Meanwhile, the team will bring back relief pitcher Ryder Ryan. Ryan was sent down just a few days ago when the team activated Colin Holderman of the Injured List. Because he is being recalled for an injured player, Ryan is able to join the Big League Club immediately.

Ryan will be a temporary move. Gonzales just started on Saturday night so they will not need a fifth starter for at least a few more days. Ryan returns to the Pirates owning a 6.75 ERA in 5.1 innings of work. He has 6 punch outs in his 4 appearances.

In Gonzales, the Pirates are losing a starter who looked to be providing exactly what the team had hoped.

The left-handed veteran made 3 starts and worked through 17 total innings. Coming out of those three starts Gonzales boasts an ERA of 2.65 with a 41% ground ball rate.