Pirates Send Pitcher to Minor League Camp
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates continue bringing their roster down to compliance in Spring Training, as Opening Day is just a week away.
The Pirates announced that they reassigned right-handed pitcher Noah Murdock to minor league camp on March 17, marking another cut to their roster this spring.
Murdock signed with the Pirates on a minor league deal this offseason and was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.
He featured in five games for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League, with two earned runs allowed over 4.2 innings pitched, three strikeouts to four walks and one hit batter, a .235 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.71 WHIP.
Murdock actually threw four scoreless outings before this most recent Pirates game, but gave up a walk and three singles, which brought in four runs and put the Houston Astros up 8-1 in the eventual 10-2 defeat at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. on March 17.
He'll now have to pitch in the minor leagues, most likely at Triple-A Indianapolis, but will get a look for the Pirates if he can impress during the season.
Who the Pirates Have Cut Already
Pittsburgh has cut 22 players from Major League Camp across Spring Training and is down to 38 players, including 37 active players, as right-handed pitcher Jared Jones is on the 60-day injured list.
The Pirates' first round of cuts took place on March 8, as they optioned both infielder Jack Brannigan and right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Harbin to Triple-A.
Brannigan suffered a broken nose vs. vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. on Feb. 22 and hasn't played since that incident, while Harbin suffered an arm injury to his teres major and lat musculature, which has him on the no-throw list for six weeks, keeping him out until early April.
The Pirates' second round of Spring Training cuts took place on March 9 and included optioning four right-handed pitchers in Brandon Bidois, Wilber Dotel, Thomas Harrington and Antwone Kelly, plus outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez to Indianapolis.
Pittsburgh also reassigned outfielder Mitch Jebb, right-handed pitcher Khristian Curtis and catcher Omar Alfonzo to minor league camp.
The Pirates made a third round of Spring Training cuts on March 12, as they reassigned eight players to minor league camp.
Pittsburgh moved position players in outfielder Ronny Simon, catcher Derek Berg and infielders in Nick Cimillo, Duce Gorson, Termarr Johnson and Davis Wendzel and left-handed pitchers in Nick Dombkowski and Oddanier Mosqueda.
The Pirates' fourth round of cuts saw them option infielder Enmanuel Valdez to Indianapolis and reassign Dominic Fletcher to minor league camp.
Pittsburgh made their fifth round of Spring Training cuts on the same day they reassigned Murdock to minor league camp.
This included optioning left-handed relief pitcher Evan Sisk to Indianapolis and reassigning four players to minor league camp in catcher Shawn Ross and right-handed pitchers like Beau Burrows, Michael Darrell-Hicks and Noah Davis.
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.