The Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson off of waivers from the Colorado Rockies. To make room on the 40-man roster, Kevin Padlo has been designated for assignment.
The 29-year-old Stephenson has pitched parts of seven seasons in the majors, spending 2016-20 with the Cincinnati Reds and 2021-22 with the Rockies. This season he has a 6.04 ERA in 45 relief appearances, with a 4.67 FIP, 1.48 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 44.2 innings. Career he has a 4.97 ERA/4.91 FIP, a 1.44 WHIP and 311 strikeouts in 298.2 innings. He will still have a year of control before free agency after this season is over.
The 26-year-old Padlo got a brief stint with the Pirates last week when Ke’Bryan Hayes was injured. He played three games and went 0-for-11 at the plate. He has a 1.214 OPS in seven games with Indianapolis.
A move to get Stephenson on the 26-man roster will be made when he joins the team.
