Pirates move starter JT Brubaker to 60-day IL, claim righty reliever Edwin Uceta off waivers

The Pittsburgh Pirates don’t know the severity of JT Brubaker’s arm injury except that it’s serious enough to keep him out of the starting rotation for the next two months.

The 29-year-old right-hander, who left spring training with right elbow/forearm discomfort, was moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL Sunday afternoon to clear room on the 40-man roster after the Pirates claimed right-handed reliever Edwin Uceta off waivers.

“We still haven’t determined where it’s at. It is in the arm,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on the AT&T SportsNet postgame show after Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. “As we have more information, we’ll be able to get it. We knew it was going to be a longer length of time. We’re still finding out information and probably should have more information next week.”

Where Brubaker was one of the Pirates’ returning starters, Shelton said right-hander Johan Oviedo will take his spot in the rotation. Oviedo is scheduled to start Monday when the Pirates visit the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

“How it changes the calculus of the rotation is we were planning on Bru being in it,” Shelton said. “Now, we’re finding out that it’s going to be a lengthier time. So that adjusts it.”

Brubaker led the Pirates with 147 strikeouts last season and finished second to Mitch Keller in both starts (28) and innings (144), and was coming off a strong spring where he ranked second in the Grapefruit League in strikeouts before missing his final scheduled start.

Oviedo, 25, was acquired last August in the trade that sent pitchers Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton to the St. Louis Cardinals. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound right-hander was 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 30 2/3 innings over seven starts, averaging 8.2 strikeouts and 4.7 walks per nine innings.

“Right now, Oviedo’s in the rotation and will get his first start (Monday) and go from there,” Shelton said. “Right now it’s Oviedo’s spot. It’s easy to say that because he hasn’t had his first start but right now it’s Oviedo’s spot.”

The Pirates moved Brubaker to the 60-day IL to clear room on the 40-man roster for Uceta, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers after being designated for assignment March 30. The Pirates optioned Uceta to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Uceta, 25, is a 6-foot, 155-pound sinkerballer who has an 0-3 record with a 6.27 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 37 1/3 innings over 24 career appearances. He offers more swing-and-miss to the bullpen, with a career 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings against 4.2 walks per nine.

Uceta made 14 appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 and 10 last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he had a 5.82 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 17 innings. Detroit claimed Uceta off waivers by the Diamondbacks in January.