PITTSBURGH – Gerrit Cole and Jung Ho Kang are both expected to make their returns to the team this week.
Kang is expected to be recalled from his rehab assignment on Monday, assuming all goes well on Sunday. In two games with Triple-A Indianapolis, he is 1 for 5 with a home run, two walks and a strikeout.
Cole is expected to pitch Sept. 12 against the Philadelphia Phillies if all goes well in his next two bullpen sessions. He will pitch Tuesday, where he will throw all of his pitches after throwing only fastballs on Saturday. He’ll then have one final tune-up on Friday before returning to the rotation.
The Pirates already five roster moves on Friday to bring their roster to 30 players, and Cole and Kang would make two more additions, but Clint Hurdle said there could be a few more once the Triple-A season ends.
“We don’t anticipate many more but there could be a couple more,” he said, without naming specifics.
In other injury news, Neftali Feliz is “feeling better today than yesterday,” according to Head Athletic Trainer Todd Tomczyk, as relayed through manager Clint Hurdle.
Feliz left his relief appearance prematurely Saturday night with right arm discomfort — a scary diagnosis for any pitcher. The Pirates have no further update on his prognosis or when he may return to the mound, but suffice to say, he is unavailable for Sunday’s game.
