Right after the game, it was announced that Charlie Morton will not start tomorrow, making Jeff Locke the man. Ground Chuck will get the call Monday, so at least he's not hurt, but just pushed back to make up for the next news item:
The team also announced that Gerrit Cole is suffering from shoulder fatigue and will miss a turn. They didn't get into specifics, and with a general diagnosis like that, it's hard to speculate if the injury will lead to a DL trip, although Clint Hurdle told the media after the game that he's a candidate for the list, admitting that Cole is a long-term team asset that the club will handle with kid gloves physically.
Cole worked a team-high 76-2/3 innings this season and 196-1/3 frames in 2013, counting Indy and the post-season, so maybe there is something to keeping an eye on a young guy's workload. Seven of his dozen starts in 2014 went over 100 pitches, four more lasted 90+, and his shortest outing was 88 offerings as he became the team workhorse in his sophomore campaign.
That keeps Brandon Cumpton in the rotation for the time being. Pittsburgh will roll out Locke - Morton - Liriano - Cumpton - Volquez as now constituted. Stolmy Pimentel is being limited to three innings in rehab, so he doesn't seem to be in line to claim a spot. That leaves Casey Sadler on the roster and Vance Worley on the farm as the cavalry.
The Pirates lost AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez from last year's staff. Jamison Taillon, who was hoped to join the team in mid-year, had TJ surgery, and the brass only added Edinson Volquez. Looks more and more like they should have been busier spending some of Bob Nutting's money instead of standing pat in the off season.
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