The Pittsburgh Pirates will be without Tim Mayza for a significant amount of time, as the left-handed reliever is being shut down from throwing for six weeks due to a shoulder lat muscle strain and teres major injury.
Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk revealed the news on Mayza to reporters Wednesday evening in Anaheim, with the Pirates in the midst of a series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Officially placed on the 15-day injured list April 19, Mayza will be reevaluated after six weeks, with details on a return-to-throwing timeline, ramp-up period and rehab assignments to be determined in June at the earliest.
Mayza, 33, had been enjoying a bounce-back start to the season with Pittsburgh, having joined the club in early February on a one-year deal.
Through seven games and 9 1/3 innings, Mayza had a 2.89 ERA with eight strikeouts and a walk.
Per MLB.com, Tomczyk also revealed that righty Jared Jones is scheduled for additional imaging to his elbow and could be nearing being cleared to throw again.
Jones, 23, was shut down at the end of spring training with a UCL sprain but avoided surgery.
Expected to be a key member of the Pirates rotation along with Paul Skenes, with whom he was set to start his second MLB campaign in 2025, Jones’ regular season was instead delayed before it ever got underway.
He has been on a no-throwing regimen and the 60-day injured list since the late March.
As a rookie last year, Jones started 22 games, going 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA, 132 strikeouts and 39 walks.
Finally, Tomczyk informed reporters in Anaheim that injured first baseman Spencer Horwitz (right wrist surgery) and righty reliever Dauri Moreta (Tommy John surgery) are rehabbing together at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.
Horwitz, who missed all of spring training after being acquired by the Pirates via trade with the Cleveland Guardians, is closing in on beginning a rehab assignment.
The 27-year-old slashed .265/.357/.433 with 12 homers, 19 doubles and 40 RBIs over 97 games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024.
Traded to the Guardians on Dec. 10, that same day he was traded again to Pittsburgh, which parted ways with righty Luis Ortiz.
Moreta, 29, missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of 2024.
His last big-league campaign in 2023 saw Moreta go 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA in 55 relief appearances, striking out 76 with 24 walks over 58 innings.
