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Pirates DFA Duane Underwood Jr., Vince Velasquez Returns from Injured List

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The Pittsburgh Pirates activated right-handed pitcher Vince Velasquez from the 15-day Injured List ahead of Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners. To make room on the active roster, right-handed pitcher Duane Underwood Jr. has been designated for assignment.

Velasquez last started on May 4th, when he left after three innings with elbow inflammation. He made one rehab start for Triple-A Indianapolis in which he threw 4.2 shutout innings. He had a 4-3, 3.06 record, a 1.16 WHIP and 34 strikeouts over 35.1 innings for the Pirates. He is making the start in today’s game.

Underwood Jr. has made 20 appearances for the 2023 Pirates. He has a 5.18 ERA, a 5.10 FIP, a 1.44 WHIP and a 14:11 SO/BB ratio over 24.1 innings.

The 28-year-old has an 8.44 ERA in the month of May, allowing runs in four of his seven appearances.

Underwood has pitched three seasons for the Pirates, compiling a 4.49 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP over 154.1 innings. He received a $1,025,000 salary this year in his first season of arbitration.

Minor Moves

The Pirates released outfielder Fabricio Macias from Altoona. They also activated RHP Bear Bellomy and LHP Omar Cruz off the development list, sending right handed pitchers Justin Meis and Tahnaj Thomas to the development list.

John Dreker
John Dreker
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball. When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.

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