Saturday, April 21, 2012

Bucs Make Pitching Moves; Burnett Back, KC Out

Well, the pitcher-go-round continues. AJ Burnett, scheduled to pitch for Altoona tonight, was instead recalled and will go in place of Kevin Correia, who is experiencing pain on his left side. Jared Hughes was sent down, and that may explain why Clint Hurdle used him for three innings last night, as the bullpen will be a man short for at least tonight.

That would make the Pirate rotation as of this week Burnett, Erik Bedard, Brad Lincoln, James McDonald and Charlie Morton, with Jeff Karstens already on the 15 day DL.

The FO looks kinda bright right about now. Last season, the Pirates floundered when they were hit by a rash of pitching injuries late in the year. This time around, they built a little pre-season depth, and it's paying off. We'll see what other moves are up their sleeve, depending on Correia's condition.

If KC is DL'ed, Hughes will probably return. If Correia only misses a start, Lincoln may get to stay as the long man, or may go back to Indy to remain stretched out. If only the hitting were so deep...

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