Pittsburgh Pirates: Examining How the Jarlín García Injury Impacts the Roster

Lefty Jarlín García was expected to be a big part of the Pirate bullpen this season. With him set to start the season on the injured list, who could take his spot?

This past offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates needed to address their bullpen. While they did not do much to address the bullpen, one MLB free agent addition that was made came when they signed veteran lefty Jarlín García.

García's deal with the Pirates is set to pay him $2.5 million in 2023. This deal also includes a club options for 2024. So, García appears to be in a position to become a key cog in the team's bullpen for multiple seasons.

Well, unfortunately for García, the start to his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates will ahev to wait.

After exiting his Grapefruit League outing this past Saturday with left forearm discomfort, García was pulled from the World Baseball Classic and was scheduled for a MRI. While the MRI revealed no elbow or shoulder damage, García remains unable to grip a basbeall. Due to this, he will miss a significant chunk of time to start the 2023 regular season.

With García now set to start the season on the injured list the question becomes who takes his place in the team's Opening Day bullpen? This alone will create a conundrum for Derek Shelton, Ben Cherington and Pirate brass.