The Pittsburgh Pirates activated right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove today. To make room on the 25-man roster, pitcher Alex McRae was optioned to Indianapolis.
This move was expected today because Musgrove was announced days ago as today’s starter against the Washington Nationals. He missed one start due to a right index finger infection, which landed him on the disabled list on July 3rd. He was eligible to come off the DL today because the move was made retroactive to June 30th, the day after his last start.
McRae was called up to the Pirates on Saturday due to an overworked bullpen. It was his day to start in Indianapolis, so if they needed multiple innings, he could give them as many as 100 pitches. He ended up not pitching at all during his three days in the majors and now will return to Indianapolis. The Triple-A All-Star game is tomorrow, so McRae has until Thursday before the next Indianapolis game.