Pittsburgh Pirates' All-Star Dealing with Lat Soreness, Isn't Overly Concerned
Pittsburgh Pirates' All-Star closer David Bednar is currently dealing with lat soreness, but he's not overly concerned about it at this point.
Per Alex Stumpf of MLB.com:
Following up on Bednar. He and the team are playing it safe and he’s currently not throwing. Good news is he doesn’t seem all too worried about its severity. “Hopefully will be back soon.”
The 29-year-old Bednar is one of the best relievers in the National League, having been named an All-Star in each of the last two seasons.
He's appeared in part of five major league seasons with the San Diego Padres and the Pirates but his career really took off upon getting to Pittsburgh in 2021. The burly right-hander has made 45 or more appearances in each of the last three years and had a career-high 39 saves in 2023.
Heading into 2024, the Pirates plan on being more competitive, so having Bednar healthy will certainly be a necessity for the group. On the off chance that he's not healthy and that this situation lingers, the team did pick up Aroldis Chapman this offseason and has him as an option to close games.
Chapman was one of several veterans that the Pirates picked up over the winter, including Marco Gonzales, Martin Perez and Yasmani Grandal. They also inked ace pitcher Mitch Keller to a long-term extension.
Pittsburgh finished fourth in the National League Central a season ago and will open up the season on March 28 on the road at the Miami Marlins.
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