While they have been able to avoid any season-ending injuries among their top pitching prospects, more than a handful of the Pirates’ minor-league arms have been bitten by the injury bug
The good news is their rehab has gone well, and returns to game action seem possible for three of the team’s best young pitchers.
Miguel Yajure (forearm/elbow soreness), the No. 16 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason top 30 update, has been on the injured list since the start of June, made his first rehab assignment with Class Low-A Bradenton on August 6, pitching 1 ⅔ innings.
On Wednesday, Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said the team envisions him making a second appearance with the Marauders in the coming days and then be promoted to either Class AA Altoona or AAA Indianapolis within 7-10 days.
While Tomczyk was noncommittal about Yajure potentially pitching in the majors again, he did say, "that's the goal of all of these major league rehabs.”
Meanwhile, in Altoona, No. 6 prospect Roansy Contreras (forearm) has begun throwing side sessions this week. He has also thrown off a slope. No. 8 prospect Carmen Mlodzinski (shoulder) has thrown a live batting practice in Class High-A Greensboro.
For all three pitchers, finishing the season by making a couple starts would be a nice finale to their first full seasons with the Pirates. Yajure projects to be part of next year’s major league rotation with Contreras getting the bump to Indianapolis -- and presumably the majors at some point -- and Mlodzinski to Altoona either at the end of this season or at the start of 2022.
MORE INJURY NEWS
• Oneil Cruz (forearm) has resumed hitting in Altoona.
"He has made some nice strides," Tomczyk said. "He has resumed taking full swings in the cage. The goal is for Oneil to progress to batting practice outside with coach pitch by the end of this week."
• Sam Howard (right oblique) threw his first live batting practice at PNC Park Wednesday. Tomczyk said the early response was that he looked and felt good.
"There was some shape to his breaking ball," Derek Shelton said during his pregame availability. "I don’t know what the velocity on his fastball was, but looked like he commanded it. Was pretty efficient in terms of throwing strikes. So overall, first good step."
• Ben Gamel (hamstring) is making "nice strides," says Tomczyk, and could be in discussions to rejoin the team next week.
• Ka'ai Tom played his first rehab game with Indianapolis Tuesday. No issues with his back were reported. He went 1-for-2 with a home run.
• Altoona announced after Tomczyk's availability that outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba has been placed on the seven-day injured list with a right thigh injury.
