Pirates Designate Bullpen Arm For Assignment
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have changed up their bullpen, as they made necessary roster moves.
Pirates manager Don Kelly said that they are designating left-handed relief pitcher Joey Wentz for assignment, who doesn't have a locker at PNC Park.
He also said that they are likely putting catcher Endy Rodríguez on the Injured List after he departed the last game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies with right elbow discomfort.
Kelly announced that they will have both right-handed pitcher Isaac Mattson and catcher Brett Sullivan from Triple-A Indianapolis on the team, who both have lockers in the clubhouse at PNC Park. These moves forced them to place Wentz on waivers and make room on the 26-man and 40-man roster.
“Yeah, our plan is, [Isaac] Mattson will be here, [Brett] Sullivan will be here. Endy [Rodríguez] will most likely go on the IL [Injured List]," Kelly said pregame. "We’re still working through some of that stuff and in order to make room, we had to DFA [Designate for Assignment] Joey Wentz.”
Wentz spent the entire season with the Pirates up until this point. He had a 2-1 record in 19 appearances, a 4.15 ERA over 26.0 innings pitched, 22 strikeouts to 11 walks, a .245 opposing batting average and a 1.38 WHIP.
His last appearance for the Pirates came against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 27. He relieved starting pitcher, right-hander Mike Burrows, and pitched 3.2 innings, keeping the Pirates in it before they made their comeback in the 9-6 win.
“Oh man, he’s a true pro and had some, pitched really good for us and it’s a tough thing with baseball and the business side," Kelly said on Wentz. "Just got caught in the roster crunch and it was a move that we had to make.”
Wentz hails from Lawrence, Kan. and played for Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kan., in the Kansas City metro.
He was the Sunflower League Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016 and also won the 2015 Junior Home Run Derby at the MLB All-Star Game that year.
Wentz originally committed to Virginia, but chose to sign with the Atlanta Braves, who selected him with the No. 40 overall pick in the first Competitive Balance round of the 2016 MLB Draft, for $3.05 million.
He pitched for the Braves in their minor league system for three seasons before they traded him to , along with infielder Travis Demeritte to the Tigers on July 31, 2019 for right-handed pitcher Shane Greene.
Wentz worked through Double-A and Triple-A before the Tigers called him up on May 11, 2022. He started in seven games that season, with a 3.03 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched, 27 strikeouts to 13 walks and holding opposing hitters to a .195 batting average.
He would struggle in 2023 for Detroit, starting 19 of the 25 games he pitched, a 3-13 record, 6.90 ERA in 105.2 innings pitched, 98 strikeouts to 47 walks and allowing a .295 batting average.
Wentz came out of the bullpen for the Tigers in 2024, with 38 appearances and a 5.37 ERA in 55.1 innings pitched, 60 strikeouts to 27 walks and allowed a .273 batting average.
The Tigers designated him for assignment on Aug. 30 and the Pirates claimed him off waivers on Sept. 3.
Wentz would have a productive end to his 2024 campaign, with a 1.50 ERA over eight appearances and 12.0 innings pitched, 13 strikeouts to six walks and an opposing batting average of .143.
The Pirates now have just two left-handed pitchers in their bullpen with Wentz gone, in Ryan Borucki and Caleb Ferguson. Both left-handed pitchers in Justin Lawrence and Tim Mayza are on the 60-day Injured List.
They have six right-handed relief pitchers in Braxton Ashcraft, David Bednar, Mattson, Dennis Santana and Chase Shugart.
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.