Quinn Priester struck out 20 hitters in 13.2 innings this season.
Speculation can be put to bed regarding who will replace Marco Gonzales in the starting rotation, at least for now.
After being swept 9-1 against the New York Mets on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates optioned left-handed reliever Jose Hernandez to Triple-A Indianapolis. The Pirates announced a corresponding roster move would be made closer to Friday’s homestand against the Boston Red Sox.
One day later, the Pirates formally added right-handed starter Quinn Priester to the taxi squad with the intention of playing him on the 26-man roster.
Gonzales was played on the 15-day IL with a left forearm muscle strain on April 14 and has a previously poor injury history, especially over the past few seasons. The organization placed him on the injured list out of an abundance of caution. His spot in the rotation is up on Friday.
In comes Priester, a 23-year-old former first-round pick (2019) who had a cup of coffee with the Bucs last season. He didn’t perform well, totaling a 7.74 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 10 appearances (eight starts) over 50 innings.
Now entering his second season in the bigs, Priester had a successful first three starts with Indianapolis. He pitched to a 3.95 ERA through 13.2 innings and compiled a 1.24 WHIP. The most encouraging sign? A slight uptick in velocity and a 20:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
It’s the right move for the Pirates, who are still limiting Paul Skenes’ innings and haven’t allowed him to reach the fifth inning yet, opting to save potential frames for later in the season. It’s an easier executed plan in the minors, compared to pulling Jared Jones after five innings of one-hit ball and 50 strikes on 59 pitches. Priester has a chance to take the bull by the horns and potentially never give the spot back or maintain it and have Gonzales battle his way back against the likes of Bailey Falter or an unlikely six-man rotation