BRADENTON, Fla. — When Jose Urquidy made his spring training debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates, his primary concern was attacking what he views as a shrinking strike zone.
The 30-year-old right-hander missed all of 2024 and much of last season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, so he’s embracing the opportunity to compete for a spot in the starting rotation.
Most of all, he wants to prove he’s healthy.
That’s why Urquidy was more concerned with his fastball velocity than his pitching line against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, when Shawn Ross hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift the Pirates to a 6-4 win before 3,905 at LECOM Park.
The Pirates spotted Urquidy a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Jake Mangum and Spencer Horwitz hit back-to-back doubles, and Marcell Ozuna drove in a run on a double play. Then Oneil Cruz doubled and went to third on an infield single by Nick Gonzales, and Cruz scored on a throwing error when Gonzales stole second base.
Urquidy allowed three runs on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 11⁄3 innings in his Pirates debut, when he was pulled in the second inning after surrendering a two-run double to Orlando Arcia, who scored on Josh Bell’s single off Junior Flores.
More important to Urquidy is that his heater sat at 93 mph and hit 94 on the radar gun, showing velocity similar to before his arm injury.
“In my case, it’s hard to come back from a surgery. It was my second surgery, so your confidence is on the floor and you have to build up everything,” Urquidy said. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be the same pitcher as I was years ago,’ so I’ve got to just work out and try to be the same pitcher as I was in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
“I’m paying a lot of attention to what I was doing those years, seeing videos and watching all my stuff, just trying to be the same player as those years. Right now, I’m doing that.”
It was a positive sign in a step-by-step process for the 6-foot, 225-pounder, who pitched 21⁄3 innings in relief in two games for the Detroit Tigers and a combined 212⁄3 innings over 11 appearances (eight starts) between Triple-A Toledo and on a rehab assignment with Low-A Lakeland last year.
Because of his limited game action, Urquidy decided to pitch in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, where he threw 33 innings over six starts. Then the Pirates came calling, reuniting Urquidy with some familiar names. Pirates manager Don Kelly was the first-base coach for the Houston Astros when Urquidy made his major-league debut in 2019, and pitching coach Bill Murphy was the Astros’ pitching coordinator.
“I’ve got to concentrate on having good outings,” Urquidy said. “I’ve got to put my body in shape to throw seven or eight innings in a game. I know I’m in a competition, a healthy competition right here. They know that is my spot, being in the starting rotation. I’m trying to compete there, try to have good outings there and see what’s going to happen.”
Urquidy threw his four-seamer on 13 of his 32 pitches (18 strikes), drawing six swings and one called strike. He mixed in a changeup and curveball and four splitters, and is working on developing a shorter slider this spring that he expects to be a harder version of the sweeper he threw before the surgery.
Kelly called it a “good” outing for Urquidy.
“Throwing the ball well, coming out well,” Kelly said. “With the offspeed pitches, too, he looks like he’s in a good spot. The mix that he’s got is really intriguing.”
Urquidy is aware that whoever doesn’t win the final spot in the starting rotation could be used in a bulk relief role.
“I know we’ve got a lot of starters here, so I’m here to compete to win that spot,” Urquidy said. “They know I’m able to be in the starting rotation or relieving, wherever they want me. I’m in the right position to make that decision for them. I’m going to pitch whenever they want. I’m trying to compete, trying to put hitters away. That’s what I’ve got to do.”
Note: Mitch Keller is expected to start for the Pirates when they host Shane Baz and the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 p.m. Friday.
