The Pittsburgh Pirates have activated right handed reliever Jose Ascanio from the 15-day disabled list, and have placed right handed reliever Michael Crotta on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow. The placement of Crotta frees up the spot for Ascanio, who finished his rehab work this week in AAA.
I talked about Ascanio the other day, questioning whether he should have been added to the 25-man roster. If the reports are accurate about him touching 97 MPH in AAA, then the Pirates can’t afford to lose him, and they would risk that if they placed him on waivers. Ascanio won’t be expected to play a big role in the bullpen, but it would be a nice surprise if he does regain his velocity, and his strong slider.
As for Crotta, there would be no reason to assume his injury is faked. He has three option years remaining, and will likely use one of those years this year, as he’s unlikely to remain on the 25-man roster all season. Putting him on the disabled list, rather than optioning him, means that he accumulates service time and is paid a major league salary for the duration of his time on the disabled list.
