Pirates Send Struggling Pitcher to Triple-A
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The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned a veteran pitcher to the minor leagues on the heels of a rough stretch.
After calling up right-handed pitcher Cam Sanders, the Pirates announced that they've sent fellow right-hander José Urquidy to Triple-A Indianapolis as the corresponding move.
ROSTER MOVE: The Pittsburgh Pirates today recalled right-handed pitcher Cam Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis. Right-handed pitcher José Urquidy was optioned to Indianapolis following Thursday’s game.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 17, 2026
Urquidy signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with Pittsburgh in February.
Urquidy's Struggles with Pirates
Despite logging a 9.28 ERA over four outings and 10 2/3 innings in spring training, Urquidy still made the Pirates' Opening Day roster.
He started the season off on a relatively high note, as he did not allow an earned run in an inning of work against the New York Mets on March 29 before tossing two scoreless frames with three strikeouts vs. the Baltimore Orioles on April 5.
From there, though, things went downhill for Urquidy.
On April 8, he punched out three batters in two innings for a second outing in a row, this time against the San Diego Padres. The issue, however, is that Urquidy gave up four runs (one earned).
Then, on April 12, Urquidy gave up a walkoff single to Carson Kelly of the Chicago Cubs, which barred the Pirates from finishing off a three-game sweep of their NL Central rivals.
The final straw for Urquidy, though, was when the Washington Nationals tagged him for four earned runs over an inning on April 13.
Now, he'll have a chance to find his footing in Triple-A after missing most of the 2025 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Pirates' Bullpen Outlook
With Urquidy out of the picture for the time being, the Pirates have lost their long reliever.
Sanders doesn't fit that bill, but the club can get by without a player in that role.
Dennis Santana will continue to get save opportunities as a result of his strong start to the year, and the same goes for Gregory Soto.
Elsewhere in the bullpen, Isaac Mattson remains a late-game option for Pittsburgh as middle relievers Mason Montgomery and Yohan Ramirez look to keep building off their own hot starts.
The next names to watch in terms of players who could soon be removed from the Pirates' bullpen are Justin Lawrence, who has a 8.64 ERA, and Evan Sisk, who was brought up earlier this week after Hunter Barco was sent down to Triple-A.
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Jack is a New Jersey native who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh as a Media & Professional Communications major in 2024 who is now covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Yankees for On SI.