Pirates Recall Relief Pitcher
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are bringing back a pitcher, who was just with the team this past weekend.
Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported that the Pirates are recalling right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart, from Triple-A Indianapolis, as they are placing catcher Endy Rodríguez on the Injured List, after suffering a right index finger laceration early in the game vs. the Washington Nationals on April 14.
Shugart came up to the Pirates from Indianapolis on April 6, as they placed right-handed pitcher Colin Holderman on the 15-day Injured List.
He came out of the bullpen three times during his past six days with the Pirates, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing no runs, just two hits and two walks and posting two strikeouts.
They sent him back down to Indianapolis on April 12, as they recalled catcher Henry Davis, who came off the bench for Rodríguez.
Shugart hails from Bridge City, Texas, a small town of about 10,000 people, and played for Bridge City High School. He starred as a junior in 2014, finishing with a 10-1 record, 1.64 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched. He improved even more as a senior in 2015, going 10-2 and posting a 0.67 ERA.
Because no team took him in the 2015 MLB Draft, he would go on to play college baseball for Texas.
Shugart pitched in 32 games out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2016 for the Longhorns, finishing with a 4.53 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched, plus 38 strikeouts to 24 walks. He then made 29 relief appearances as a sophomore in 2017, going 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA in 42.0 innings pitched.
He transitioned to a starter for his junior season in 2018, with 15 starts in 21 appearances. He finished with a 6-3 record, a 4.64 ERA over 95.0 innings pitched and 69 strikeouts to 41 walks, helping Texas make it to the College World Series.
The Red Sox selected Shugart in the 12th Round of the 2018 MLB Draft and he chose to forgo his final season with the Longhorns to join the professional ranks. He pitched for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox and the Lowell Spinners of the Low-A New York-Penn League in 2018.
The MLB then suspended Shugart for the first 50 games of 2019 after he had a second positive test that violated the drug and prevention treatment program.
Shugart made his first appearance on May 27 for the Single-A Greenville Drive and finished the season with a 6-4 record in 16 starts, a 2.81 ERA in 89.2 innings pitched, 73 strikeouts to 23 walks and an opposing batting average of .253.
He didn't pitch in 2020, as the MLB shut down the minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He pitched again for Greenville, now a High-A team, and went 6-6 in 22 starts, posted a 4.78 ERA in 105.1 innings pitched, 93 strikeouts to 24 walks and a .292 opposing batting average.
Shugart started the 2022 season with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, where he had a 3.77 ERA in 25 games out of the bullpen and 31.0 innings pitched. He earned a promotion to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox on July 3 and made 20 relief appearances, finishing with a 6.82 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched.
He would spend the entire 2023 season with Worcester and had a difficult season, posting an 8.22 ERA in 40 relief appearances in 46.0 innings pitched.
Shugart continued pitching for Worcester last season, but made his MLB debut on Aug. 15, pitching 2.2 innings in a road loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
He pitched six games for Boston in 2024, finishing with a 4.15 ERA in 8.2 innings pitched and eight strikeouts to three walks.
The Red Sox designated Shugart for assignment and they sent him in a trade to the Pirates in exchange for fellow right-handed pitcher Matt McShane on Jan. 17.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.