The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned Casey Sadler to Indianapolis and have recalled Brandon Cumpton, per a team press release. Sadler was called up yesterday when Andrew McCutchen was placed on the disabled list, and threw in the eighth inning of last night’s win against the Detroit Tigers. He gave up two runs on three hits, only recording two outs.
Earlier today, Ryan Palencer wrote about how Cumpton was making the transition to the bullpen. He hadn’t pitched since August 1st, then made a relief appearance in Triple-A on Sunday. Cumpton has primarily worked as a starter in his time in the majors, with 15 starts in 16 appearances. He’s got the upside to be a back of the rotation starter in the majors, although with the Pirates’ current rotation, there’s not a need for him outside of a bullpen role. He has a 4.98 ERA in 56 innings this year in the majors, although that number is inflated by one bad outing in Los Angeles. His FIP is 3.22.
Cumpton should be able to fill a lot of roles out of the bullpen, playing a role that is similar to what Jeanmar Gomez has done the last two years, although hopefully with better results than what Gomez has shown this year.
