Pirates Make First Spring Training Cuts
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made changes to their roster, the first time doing so in Spring Training.
The Pirates announced that they optioned both infielder Jack Brannigan and right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Harbin to Triple-A Indianapolis. This leaves 62 players in Major League Camp, with 61 active, as right-handed pitcher Jared Jones on the 60-day injured list.
Brannigan suffered a broken nose after taking a batted ball to the face in his first Spring Training start vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on Feb. 22, which caused a great deal of bleeding.
Harbin suffered an arm injury to his teres major and lat musculature, which makes it painful to throw pitches, especially when the arm is extended above the head, as both muscles deal with upwards extension in the arm.
The Pirates pitcher is on no-throw fro six weeks and then will undergo imaging that will determine his status.
This would keep Harbin out until April 7, meaning he'd miss at least the first two series for Triple-A Indianapolis, where he's expected to start pitching in 2026.
Jack Brannigan's Injury History Hampering Him
It's a tough position for Brannigan, who has dealt with injuries the last few seasons, restricting from playing as much as he would want.
He played just 59 games for Double-A Altoona in 2025, as he went on the 7-day injured list on June 14 and then the full season injured list on July 21. He slashed .225/.329/.358 for an OPS of .687 with 46 hits in 204 at-bats, eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, 30 RBIs, 25 walks to 62 strikeouts and nine stolen bases.
Brannigan suffered a torn labrum and underwent right shoulder labrum repair surgery, which the Pirates anticipated would have him back early in 2026, which he was able to do.
He also missed all of August 2024 and a month in 2023 with injury, as he's struggled staying on the field for a full season.
The Pirates protected him from the Rule 5 Draft at the end of last season, putting him on the 40-man roster, as they see him as someone who could make the major leagues in the near future.
If he can stay healthy, the Pirates would have him on the left side of the infield, with 107 starts in 114 games played at third base and 105 starts in 109 games at shortstop, including 82 appearances at the position the past two seasons.
Ryan Harbin Looks to Build Off of Strong 2026 Season
Harbin had issues at High-A prior, but figured it out in 2025, dominating for Greensboro early on with a 2-2 record in 22 bullpen outings, a 2.37 ERA over 30.1 innings pitched, 46 strikeouts to 23 walks, a .173 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.35 WHIP.
His performances earned him promotion to Double-A Altoona on June 24, where he continued his solid pitching. He had a 3.66 ERA over 14 outings and 19.2 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts to seven walks, a .227 opposing batting average and a 1.22 WHIP.
He then earned his second promotion in 2025 to Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 12, where he finished off the campaign.
Harbin had two bad outings with Indianapolis, giving up six earned runs in back-to-back appearances on the road vs. the Columbus Clippers on Sept. 6 and at home vs. the Iowa Cubs on Sept. 9.
He finished with a 11.48 ERA over 14 outings and 13.1 innings pitched at Triple-A, 16 walks to 15 strikeouts, a .351 BAA and a 2.70 WHIP.
Harbin did pitch well outside of those two outings, with a 3.46 ERA over 13 innings pitched and will need to show more of that this season when he returns from injury.
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.