Pirates Relief Pitcher Off Opening Day Roster
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PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher will reportedly not make the roster after a decent showing in 2024.
Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette repoted that the Pirates informed relief pitcher Kyle Nicolas that he wouldn't make the opening day roster.
Sources: Pirates RHP Kyle Nicolas has been informed that he will not be on the team’s opening day roster. Nicolas pitched in 51 games last season, going 2-2 with a 3.95 ERA.
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) March 23, 2025
Nicolas started the 2024 season with the Indianapolis Indians at Triple-A. He made nine apperances, had a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 innings pitched, with an opposing batting average of .061.
The Pirates called him up on April 26 and he spent most of the season with the team. He had a 2-2 record in 51 games, a 3.95 ERA in 54.2 innings pitched, 55 strikeouts to 31 walks and a .249 opposing batting average.
He suffered a left oblique strain on Sept. 16 and the Pirates put him on the 15-day Injured List. Nicolas didn't pitch again last season following the injury.
Pittsburgh acquired Nicolas in a trade with the Miami Marlins on Nov. 29, 2021, as they sent catcher Jacob Stallings in exchange for pitcher Zach Thompson, outfielder Connor Scott and Nicolas.
Nicolas spent all of 2022 at Double-A Altoona, starting 22 of 24 games he appeared in, a 2-4 record, a 3.97 ERA In 90.2 innings pitched, 101 strikeouts to 47 walks and a .216 batting average.
He started the 2023 season with Altoona, with 12 starts, a 3-5 record, a 4.36 ERA, 53.2 innings pitched, 63 strikeouts to 23 walks and a .267 opposing batting average.
Nicolas then moved up to Indianapolis on June 16, but spent most his time coming out of the bullpen. He started six of his 23 appearances, a 1-2 record, a 6.20 ERA in 45.0 innings pitched, 64 strikeouts to 29 walks and an opposing batting average of .243.
The Pirates selected Nicolas' contract to the 40-man roster on Sept. 19. He struggled at the MLB level, with an 11.81 ERA in four games and 5.1 innings pitched.
Nicolas hails from Massilion, Ohio and played for Jackson High School, winning state titles in baseball and basketball as a senior in 2017. He earned Federal League Co-Player of the Year honors after posting an 8-0 record and a 0.50 ERA, while also hitting .349 with 24 RBIs.
He played college baseball for Ball State for three seasons, before entering the 2020 MLB Draft, where the Marlins selected him No. 61 overall.
The Pirates open their 2025 season against the Marlins on March 27, a four game road series.
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.