Camren Mlodzinski Shares Thoughts On Pirates Demotion
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PITTSBURGH —Carmen Mlodzinski has worked hard as a starting pitcher, but he is back in the role that the Pittsburgh Pirates see him best at.
Mlodzinski will head back to the bullpen, per Pirates manager Don Kelly, as Jared Jones will return to the team off the 60-day injured list and join the starting rotation, with his first start coming against the Minnesota Twins on May 28 in the series opener at PNC Park.
Mlodzinski had spent the first two months of the season as a starter, but will return to the bullpen and help out the Pirates in that regard.
He didn't give his full thoughts on the situation, but hinted at his disappointment with the move, while still glad that Jones is back on the Pirates.
“Obviously just excited to have Jared back with us," Mlodzinski said. "I can honestly say I’m just still communicating with the organization and the people in my corner, whether that’s my family or my agency, about what is next. I really don’t have any comments after that.”
What Comments From Mlodzinski Might Mean
It's clear that Mlodzinski wants to stay on as a starting pitcher and his comments show that he wants that role.
Mlodzinski knows that long-term, his best chance at maxxing out his future earnings is by becoming a starting pitcher full-time, rather than coming out of the bullpen, even with how successful he's been at doing the latter.
He's made nine starts in 11 appearances, posting a 4-3 record, a 3.76 ERA over 55.0 innings pitched, with 46 strikeouts to 20 walks, a .272 batting average allowed and a 1.42 WHIP this season.
Mlodzinski made improvements from his tenure as a starter in 2025, with a 1-4 record in nine starts and a 5.67 ERA and wanted to keep showing that in 2026.
Now that he doesn't have that chance, him invoking his agency shows that he might think about a move elsewhere via trade, which the Pirates don't have to oblige to, but it's something they'll probably take into account.
Mlodzinski Confident Despite Role Change
It's not tough for any player to take losing their spot in the rotation, especially for Mlodzinski, who's shown that he can pitch effectively as a starter.
Mlodzinski will still have a big role going forward, especially as the Pirates need a reliable middle reliever, but it's not an easy change at this point of the season.
“Proud of the work I’ve been able to do, kind of leave it at that,” Mlodzinski said.
Mlodzinski will help fix a Pirates bullpen that has posted a 4.92 ERA this month and has blown 12 saves this season, which is keeping the team from having a truly elite pitching staff.
The Pirates teammates have stood by each other and they'll stand with Mlodzinski, who will continue working hard with the rest of the pitchers and Jones moving forward.
“Yeah, I think they try to put themselves in my shoes," Mlodzinski said. "We all try to support each other. We are all going to do that for Jared tomorrow. We are excited to see him. We are all going to support each other for sure on this team.”
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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.