Pirates' Steven Brault learns to adapt in strange season

The airplane lands. Players get on buses that speed directly to the hotel.

Pittsburgh Pirates players are expected to spend all of their free time, eat all their meals and attend meetings in the hotel. Some don’t dare venture into a buddy’s room, even playing video games remotely.

The smart athletes in any sport treat road trips like business trips, even in virus-free times. But the coronavirus is real, and the Pirates know and respect it.

Steven Brault realizes to think otherwise might lead to dire consequences.

After all, the Pirates already have lost two players to the virus: Keone Kela, their closer who has yet to suit up, and Gregory Polanco, who missed much of training camp in July and is still trying to restore his swing at the plate.

“Yeah, it’s a lot different,” said Brault, who will make his second start of the season Sunday when he confronts the Cubs in Wrigley Field. “Come to Chicago and not be able to go get a coffee somewhere in the morning is very strange.

“I’d rather do that and play than go places (and risk exposure) and be at home waiting for next season.”

Brault, 28, said the ability to adapt on and off the field is important in a short season that resembles no other before it.

“When you’re in any kind of unheard-of situation, the thing that is most important is being able to be adaptable and be able to change if you need to.

“If you don’t change, and you don’t get better, you’re not going to hang around.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Brault’s personality helps him adapt. He has shown patience and been receptive to management’s wishes since 2017 while being shuttled back and forth from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Now, he finds himself in a key starter’s role in his third full season in the major leagues.

“I think Steven Brault’s personality thrives when he has the ability to be creative and be himself, and hopefully that’s the forum we’re giving him,” Shelton said, “because he does have a wonderful personality.

“He likes to be seen. He likes to be heard. And I mean that in a great way. I love his personality. I love the fact that he feels free to be conversant about topics of not only baseball. He’s going to continue to thrive in that. I’m excited that he feels that comfortable.”

This season, Brault has been placed in an unusual situation, sharing innings with Chad Kuhl. Shelton believes that’s best for both players after they spent much time over the past year recovering from injuries.

Brault threw only two innings, both scoreless, Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers. But the truncated appearance was tied more to the rain delay after the second inning than anything Brault did or didn’t do.

Kuhl earned further work, too, striking out four and giving up no runs in 3 2/3 innings.

For now, Shelton has no desire to tinker with that formula.

“I would assume there’s probably a good chance you’ll see Kuhl (on Sunday),” he said.

Brault said he doesn’t know the plan for him, but he spoke with reporters before Saturday’s game. Surely, he was informed after that.

“I know it’s going to be a little bit of a build (from his two-inning outing),” he said. “We’ll kind of go with the flow and see what happens.

“I know I’m not going to go six. It’s different in that regard. As far as everything else, I’m going out trying to be as effective as I would if I was starting a full game.”

Brault said the key for him is finding better command of his fastball and finally trying to solve the Cubs.

In 14 games against the Cubs, he has allowed 10 home runs, a .324 batting average and .996 OPS. They have drawn a walk or hit a double or home run in 23% of their plate appearances against Brault, whose ERA at Wrigley sits at 10.29.

“Haven’t had quite as much success,” he said. “Ready to take them on and keep working.”

In this 60-game season, the Pirates can’t afford to fall further behind.

“We’re not panicking,” Brault said. “But I guess you’d say it’s a little bit more urgent, yeah. That’s all part of it.

“I think that’s part of being able to adapt to the situation at hand.”