Pirates Announce Starting Pitchers vs. Rangers
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will travel to face their next opponent and have the backend of their starting rotation for the upcoming series.
The Pirates will take on the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, April 21-23, for a three-game series against their American League foe, their sole series against them this season, with their last three pitchers in the rotation going up for it.
Carmen Mlodzinski will start the series opener on April 21, Braxton Ashcraft starts the second game on April 22 and Bubba Chandler will pitch in the series finale on April 23.
All three games have first pitch set for 8:05 p.m. (EST), and will mark the second straight road series where these three pitchers start for the Pirates.
Mlodzinski Proving Reliable in Starter Role
Mlodzinski is making the most of his time in the starting rotation for the second straight season, after 2025 ended poorly.
He has pitched efficiently so far, with a 1.77 ERA over three starts, four appearances and 20.1 innings pitched, with 20 strikeouts to eight walks, a .247 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.33 WHIP.
Mlodzinski didn't make the start in his most recent outing vs. the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on April 15, with left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery getting the spot start for the first inning, due to the heavy left-handed hitting lineup the Nationals.
The strategy from Pirates manager Don Kelly worked out, as Montgomery threw a scoreless first inning and then Mlodzinski threw six scoreless innings, posting five strikeouts and allowing just two hits, two walks and hitting a batter in the 2-0 win.
Mlodzinski had issues with left-handed batters before that outing with a a .355 BAA and a 1.95 WHIP, which made sense why Montgomery made the start.
If Mlodzinski can prove he can handle left-handed hitting, he could ensure he starts games more often.
Ashcraft Looking to Bounce Back
The Pirates wanted to see if Ashcraft could become a starter full-time after spending most of 2025 coming out of the bullpen and he's proved them right so far.
Ashcraft has posted a 2.38 ERA over four starts and 22.2 innings pitched, 27 strikeouts to seven walks, a .210 BAA and a 1.06 WHIP.
He actually pitched well throughout his start vs. the Nationals in the series finale on April 16, but had five runs score on him, just two earned due to some defensive errors, which ended up an 8-7 loss in extra innings.
Ashcraft has thrown 87 pitches or more in three starts this season and his 90 pitches vs. the Nationals is a career-high and he's averaged eight strikeouts over his past three starts.
The Pirates have trusted Ashcraft to go deep into starts, even with his lengthy injury history, and he'll have to continue showing that he can handle that workload going forward.
Chandler Comes Off of Best Start in 2026
The Pirates needed a good, long outing from Chandler in the series opener vs. the Tampa Bay Rays on April 17, following heavy bullpen usage in the four-game series vs. the Nationals.
Chandler gave them that and more, throwing six innings, allowing just three hits, one walk and one earned run with three strikeouts in the 5-1 win.
He almost had a scoreless outing, if not for a ball he deflected, a wild pitch and then an RBI-single in the fifth inning.
Chandler had his longest outing and earned his first quality start of 2026, relying on ground outs and inducing low contact, rather than trying to blow by hitters with his 100 mph fastball.
He is also working his offspeed pitches, the changeup and slider, plus his new sweeper, that keep hitters off-balance and guessing.
Chandler has also cut down his walks from six to four to two to one over his four starts, respectively, getting his command under control, which he showed in his last three starts of 2025.
It's an encouraging sign for the Pirates rookie, who could get even better in his first full season in the rotation.
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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.