COLE HEADED BACK TO DL
Gerrit Cole is headed back to the DL, this time due to a lat issue, after a bout with shoulder fatigue.
“It’s very frustrating,” Cole said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “The bullpen just didn’t go well. I wasn’t myself. If you can’t be yourself in a bullpen, how can you do it when you pitch (in a game)? It’s hard enough to get through the Cardinals’ lineup when you’re feeling good.”
The Pirates for now hope that Cole will only miss one start and that his issues are not long-term, but with the trade deadline looming, A.J. Burnett becomes an even more attractive trade target from the standpoint of how durable he is.
Burnett is 4th in the NL in inings pitched (124.0)
Cole has only made three starts since June 1, failing to pitch more than 5 2/3 innings in any of the outings and hasn’t pitched seven innings or more in a game since May 7th.
AROUND THE BASES
— Pittsburgh’s 2-0 loss to the Cardinals Monday night was a squandered opportunity to get a win in St. Louis against Adam Wainwright. Pittsburgh went 0-10 with runners in scoring position and Wainwright had to exit the game after the 7th inning due to a 112 pitch count. Wainwright has an 0.79 ERA since June 1
— Francisco Liriano a huge key for the Pirates in the second half, had a dominant rehab start, throwing six shutout innings with eight strikeouts, zero walks, and three hits on Monday night.
— Pedro Alvarez has four home runs, 15 RBI and 12 extra bases hits in his last 40 games.