Pirates DFA Reliever to Make Room on 40-Man Roster
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have made a number of changes to their bullpen this season, with their most recent one impacting their 40-man roster.
The Pirates announced that they designated right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Harbin for assignment, as they selected the contract of right-handed relief pitcher Chris Devenski.
Devenski had signed a minor league contract, but with the Pirates calling him up, they had to create spots on both the 26-man roster and the 40-man roster, which sees them place Harbin on waivers.
It's a decision that likely didn't come easily for the Pirates, as they will want to see their young reliever get a chance to prove himself again this season.
Why the Pirates DFA'd Ryan Harbin
The Pirates added Harbin to the 40-man roster back on Nov. 6, as they looked to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, which would've allowed other teams to put Harbin on their 40-man roster for the next season.
Harbin had a promising 2025, where he excelled at both High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, but had some struggles at Triple-A Indianapolis.
He suffered an arm injury to his teres major and lat musculature early in Spring Training and the Pirates placed him on the 60-day injured list on March 18, which means he can't even come back until late May.
That injury makes it painful to throw pitches, with both muscles deal with upwards extension in the arm, which is an important part of throwing.
With Harbin injured, the Pirates likely saw an opportunity to make a 40-man roster spot without having to lose a promising reliever for the future.
What the Pirates Bullpen Looks Like
The Pirates have made a number of moves over the past few days, which have changed their bullpen from what it originally was.
Right-handed relief pitcher Cam Sanders came up on April 25, as the Pirates put right-handed starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft on the Major League Bereavement/Family Emergency List.
Sanders made two appearances, before the Pirates brought back Ashcraft for his start on April 28 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.
The Pirates also optioned right-handed pitcher Wilber Dotel to Indianapolis on April 28, as they called up left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco.
Dotel had pitched four innings on April 27 and then Barco came in and pitched 4.2 innings on April 28, but then the Pirates sent Barco down when they called up Devenski.
The Pirates have six right-handed pitchers in their bullpen along with Devenski, which includes Justin Lawrence, Isaac Mattson, Yohan Ramírez, Dennis Santana and Gregory Soto and two left-handed pitchers in Mason Montgomery and Evan Sisk.
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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.