The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday morning that right-handed pitcher Chris Archer underwent surgery yesterday to relieve symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. In the announcement, the Pirates said that he should be fully recovered before the start of the 2021 season. That also means that he won’t be available if there is a 2020 season.
The Pirates hold an $11 M team option for the 2021 season, which also includes a $250,000 buyout. The buyout seems much more likely at this point, so it’s possible that Archer has pitched his last game for the Pirates. He had a 5.19 ERA and a 5.02 FIP in 119.2 innings last year over 23 starts. Archer had a 1.41 WHIP and 143 strikeouts. He had a 4.30 ERA and a 4.00 FIP in 52.1 innings over ten starts with the Pirates in 2018. He missed the end of last season after leaving his August 20th start with right shoulder inflammation. Archer also had hernia surgery over the 2018-19 off-season.
