Pirates place Trevor Cahill on injured list; Ke'Bryan Hayes starts rehab in Indianapolis
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost a starting pitcher and gained a reliever Saturday when Trevor Cahill went on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain and Kyle Crick was activated from the IL.
Cahill (1-5) left his most recent start Wednesday night in St. Louis after one inning. He has made eight starts this season while recording a 6.81 ERA and 1.486 WHIP. He is the third Pirates starter placed on the IL this season, joining Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl.
“We haven’t seen a ton of improvement (in Cahill’s injury),” manager Derek Shelton said. “This will give him a chance to get it right.”
Shelton said he doesn’t know how he will handle the void in the Pirates’ starting rotation, specifically Tuesday night at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs. J.T. Brubaker will start Sunday in the finale of the four-game series in Atlanta.
“We’ll talk through it,” Shelton said.
Crick has been on the injured list since May 11 after appearing in 12 games with a 1.59 ERA and 0.618 WHIP.
“We look for him to step back in. His live BP the other day was really good. His bullpen (sessions) were really good. Look forward (to Crick) bouncing back and being the same guy.”
Meanwhile, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes will move one important step closer to a return to the Pirates’ lineup when he begins a rehab assignment Saturday night with Triple-A Indianapolis. Hayes (left wrist strain) has missed all but two games this season.
“To get him back on the field (Saturday) is important,” Shelton said. “He’s missed enough time that we have to build him back up. (Saturday) is the first step to him rejoining us.
“He’s worked really hard to get there, and (we) look forward to seeing the results of it, not only on the field, but, more importantly, health-wise.”
The Pirates have a tentative progression for Hayes’ time in Indianapolis, but Shelton didn’t say how many games he will play there.
“As with all progressions, they’re in pencil. We’ll talk to him on a daily basis and see where he’s at.”
He is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list June 3.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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