The Pittsburgh Pirates have recalled right-handed relief pitcher Hunter Stratton after placing pitcher Ryan Borucki on the injured list. Additionally, outfielder Bryan Reynolds has returned from paternity leave. Outfielder/first baseman Billy Cook, who had been recalled replacing Reynolds, has been returned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
We have reinstated OF Bryan Reynolds from the Major League Paternity Leave List, and optioned OF Billy Cook to Triple-A Indianapolis.
In addition, LHP Ryan Borucki has been placed on the 15-day injured list, and RHP Hunter Stratton has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 21, 2025
Borucki to IL as Pirates Recall Stratton, Welcome Reynolds Back, and Option Cook
Borucki entered Friday night’s game against the Texas Rangers in the ninth inning and exited with a lower back injury after facing four batters and recording one out. The left-hander had been pitching well, with a 2.55 ERA as of May 13. Since then, however, he’s hit a rough patch, giving up 10 earned runs in eight innings. He goes to the IL with a 5.26 ERA and 1.247 WHIP.
This will be the fifth stint with the Pirates for Stratton, 28. He got his first taste of the big time in September 2023, when he impressed with a 2.25 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in eight games. He made the squad out of spring training in 2024. It was then that he quickly became a favorite of then-manager Derek Shelton. Pitching in late-inning, high-leverage roles, the rookie posted a 3.58 ERA and a tidy 1.168 WHIP to go with five “holds” in 36 games. He was on a roll, with 10 consecutive scoreless appearances from June 8 to August 24, when a knee injury ended his season.
A brief, two-game stint with the Pirates at the beginning of 2025 didn’t go so well for Stratton. Returning to Indianapolis, this season he was 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.257 WHIP. He’s on a roll in June. He’s given up just one earned run in seven appearances covering eight innings during the month. Generally, he hasn’t been used for multi-inning stints. He’s pitched two innings just once and has exceeded one inning six other times. It seems unlikely that manager Don Kelly will push him past his limits at the major league level. Stratton seems ticketed for a late-inning, short-relief role with Pittsburgh.
Left Short of Left-Handers
The fall-out of the Borucki injury will be interesting in that it leaves Kelly with just Caleb Ferguson from the left side in the bullpen. Pittsburgh began the year with four left-handers in the pen. Since then, Tim Mayza has been placed on the 60-day IL, and Joey Wentz has been released. Unlike Shelton, who generally made mid-inning pitching changes only after a reliever had surrendered some runs, Kelly likes to make percentage moves and go to a left-hander to face a left-handed batter. Kelly will have to be choosy in his use of Ferguson. With the choice of Stratton, the Pirates felt it was more important to add a pitcher who was pitching well, regardless of the arm he uses.
Welcome Back, Reynolds
If that doesn’t quite have the same ring as Welcome Back, Kotter, the Pirates will be pleased to regain their All-Star right fielder to boost a lineup that is to major-league offense what the Sweathogs were to academics. That said, it’s been an off-year for Reynolds. The quiet switch-hitter has struggled to the tune of .222/.295/.360, 8 HR, and 39 RBI. Even so, the eight homers are tied for second on the team. Historically, he’s heated up in June, but so far, he’s hitting .157/.259/.275 for the month. Perhaps fatherhood will do for Reynolds what it did for former Pirate Rob Mackowiak, who, in 2004, hit two ninth-inning home runs in a doubleheader the day his son was born, one a walk-off grand slam, the other a game-tyer.
In three games, Cook was 2-for-6 while being used in the outfield and at first base.
Main Photo Credits: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
The post Pirates Place Borucki on IL, Recall Stratton, Among Other Moves appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.