Rather than risk further injury to pitcher Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates have decided to shut him down for the season. The move is a significant one for Pittsburgh as they contemplate a potential rotation for the playoffs should they make it. The Pirates will almost certainly reach at least the Wild Card round and have a chance to win the National League Central Division.
Pittsburgh still has viable options to choose from out of their current rotation of A.J. Burnett, Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, Charlie Morton, and Jeff Locke. But Locke and Cole are both young and the former hasn’t pitched all that well in the second half of the season. Morton has been spotty after a dominant August and even Burnett and Liriano have had their struggles recently.
It’s unclear if Rodriguez could have claimed one of the spots in the starting lineup having missed the past three months with a forearm injury, but the pitcher was having a solid season before going on the disabled list. Before his final start when he came out in the first inning with tightness in the forearm, he had won four of his last five games and was 6-4 on the season.
The Pirates’ rotation has done just fine without Rodriguez. Cole, the rookie sensation has stepped up and all five of Pittsburgh’s starters have earned their spot. Plenty of other options exist for manager Clint Hurdle, but losing Rodriguez still is significant for a team chasing the postseason for the first time in two decades.
