The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled left-handed reliever Josh Smoker in time for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. No other move had to be made due to Joe Musgrove going on the disabled list yesterday.
Smoker pitched with the Pirates earlier this season, giving up four runs in four innings over five appearances. Since joining Indianapolis, he has a 2.59 ERA in 31.1 innings over 28 appearances, with 35 strikeouts, a .203 BAA and a 1.05 WHIP.
The bench remains a player short, but Clay Holmes is on the mound tonight for his first big league start, and not under ideal circumstances. So it made sense to bring up a reliever after the work the bullpen has put in the last three days.
Holmes has pitched just two innings in the last two weeks, which is a repeat of what he did with the Pirates earlier in the season. While Holmes was pitching great before he was recalled, the layoff, plus a first big league start against a team hitting the ball well, likely means the bullpen will see a lot of action again.
The good news is that the Pirates are off tomorrow.
