The Pittsburgh Pirates have outrighted pitcher Jose Ascanio to Indianapolis after the right hander cleared waivers, David Todd first reported. Ascanio was designated for assignment last week when the Pirates recalled Tony Watson from AAA, adding a second left hander to the bullpen. Prior to the move, Ascanio had a 7.11 ERA in 6.1 innings, with a 5:2 K/BB ratio.
Ascanio has good stuff, with an upper 90s fastball, and a great slider when it’s on. The problem is that his stuff hasn’t translated to success in the majors. Part of that this year could have been the fact that he’s basically been out of action since August 2009, recovering from a shoulder injury. Since the Pirates get to keep Ascanio, there’s a chance that he could regain his value in Indianapolis after he gets a little more playing time. He’s only pitched 20.1 innings since August 2009.
