Carmen Mlodzinski Bumped to Pirates Bullpen After Rotation Loss
carmen mlodzinski is moving out of the Pirates’ rotation and into the bullpen after a rough month pushed Pittsburgh to change his role. He had been starting again for the club, but the shift sends him into higher-leverage relief work for now.
Pittsburgh Rotation Change
Mlodzinski posted a 4-3 record and a 3.76 ERA as a starter, but within the past month he allowed 19 hits and 15 runs in 13 2/3 innings in a three-game stretch. That downturn came after he had previously been given another chance to start, and it left the Pirates with a clear decision on how to use him next.
He said, “I can honestly say I’m just still communicating with the organization and the people in my corner — whether that’s my family or my agency — about what’s next,” which captures where his role stands right now. For the moment, the Pirates plan to use him out of the bullpen in high-leverage innings until they need him to start again unless he refuses.
Jared Jones And Bubba Chandler
The move also clears more room for Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler, the two arms Pittsburgh wants to give a runway in the major-league rotation. Jones returned to the majors on Friday night and gave up five runs, but he also threw a flurry of 100 mph-plus fastballs and generated 15 swings and misses.
That makes Mlodzinski the short-term answer in relief while the Pirates sort through their starting depth. He does not have the same golden arm as Jones and Chandler, but the club still expects him to start several games over the next four months if the rotation needs him again.
Don Kelly’s Choice
Manager Don Kelly’s staff is trying to balance immediate innings with a longer look at younger starters. Brandon Lowe’s line after being pulled — “Take the personal opinion out of it,” — fits the kind of cold roster math that comes with a role change like this.
For Mlodzinski, the next step is simple: work out of the bullpen, handle the leverage spots Pittsburgh gives him, and be ready when the Pirates need another start.
