Right-handed pitcher Ryan Reid joins the Pirates’ roster for their California road trip to provide relief for a tired bullpen. The Bucs optioned left-hander Kris Johnson to Indianapolis to make room for Reid following Johnson’s strong six innings Sunday afternoon.
Reid allowed only two runs over his 11 Major League innings this season for Pittsburgh, striking out seven batters and walking three. In a larger Triple-A sample of 51 innings this year, Reid posted a sparkling 2.12 ERA and 2.3 strikeouts per walk. The 28-year-old made his Major League debut on June 3 but was sent down one month later when A.J. Burnett returned from injury. He posted a 5.51 ERA over 16.1 innings in his month-plus in Indianapolis since the demotion.
The recent struggles of Reid should not be of great concern, especially given the small sample size. Fact is, the Pirates needed a live arm from the 40-man roster. Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been overworked this month by multiple extra-inning games and short starts from the rotation.
Pirates Bullpen Usage (Per Game) Month-By Month
- April — 3.7 innings
- May — 3.3 innings
- June — 3.9 innings
- July — 2.7 innings
- August — 3.9 innings
Pirates general manager made yet another call to arms for the presence of Ryan Reid. This time, Johnson’s used arm from Sunday’s loss was the casualty. The team does not overlook Johnson’s 82-pitch MLB debut, even though he was marked with the ‘L.’
“I was just so proud of him,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “One of the great honors you have as a Major League manager is to pencil a guy’s name in the lineup or to put him in the game for his Major League debut. The job he did for us was exciting to watch, obviously well-needed for our club and bullpen.”
