The bullpen of the Pittsburgh Pirates is a bit of a mess right now. Aside from Dennis Santana, it’s hard to find any reliever who can be trusted whenever he takes the mound.
The organization has shuffled through arms in recent weeks, trying to find some consistency late in games. Most recently, the team promoted Braxton Ashcraft to the major leagues for the first time and optioned Issac Mattson back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Mattson had been brought up just days prior after the struggling Colin Holderman was placed on the 15-Day IL. Ashcraft, who made his MLB debut Monday night, was a starter in Triple-A, but looks to figure in as a long reliever with Pittsburgh, at least to start.
More bullpen moves are probably coming over the next few weeks. Could one of them be for the rehabbing Dauri Moreta?
Indianapolis has been home to numerous rehab assignments over the last few weeks. Spencer Horwitz recently arrived in Pittsburgh after a stay in Indy, and current injured players playing their rehab assignments at Victory Field include second baseman Nick Gonzales and catcher Endy Rodriguez.
Time limits for how long a player can be on a rehab assignment vary. Assuming there is no major snag in their rehab process, position players can only be there for a maximum of 20 days.
Pitchers, meanwhile, can be on a rehab assignment for 30 days. The extra time is allowed because unlike a position player, a pitcher can’t get reps every day as they work their way back. That comes even more in handy for an arm coming off of a lengthy time away.
Such is the case with Moreta.
The righty pitched 58 innings for the Pirates in 2023 out of the bullpen, posting a 3.72 ERA, 1.086 WHIP, and 3.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
In spring training last year, Moreta left a game early with an apparent arm injury. The worst fears eventually came true, and Moreta had to undergo UCL surgery that wiped out more than a year of his baseball career.
He didn’t pitch anywhere in 2024 and missed a decent chunk of 2025 before finally getting into game action again. He opened the season on the 60-Day IL.
On April 29th, the Pirates finally initiated his rehab assignment. Moreta was originally sent to Low-A Bradenton, to get his arm used to throwing in games again. Moreta served as the opener for the Marauders on the 29th, facing the minimum in his first professional game back.
Three days later, Moreta pitched the third inning of a Marauders game. He allowed a hit but kept Clearwater off the board, and also notched his first strikeout in a game of record since October 1st, 2023.
After getting him back up to game speed, the organization transferred Moreta’s rehab assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis. He made his Indians season debut on the 6th, facing four batters. He walked one and struck out the rest in a win.
His next few outings were a little rough. On the 9th, he tossed 1.1 innings, but allowed a solo home run to Kody Huff that chased him from the game.
On the 13th, Moreta issued a walk and surrendered a hit, putting runners on first and second. He was then the victim of a double steal, and Louisville scored on a sacrifice fly to charge Moreta a run. He only recorded two outs in that game.
Since then, Moreta hasn’t allowed a run.
In total, Moreta has pitched seven innings in Triple-A. He has a 2.57 ERA in Indy and a 2.00 ERA across his entire rehab assignment. Opponents are batting .136 against him.
Control has been the one issue for Moreta as he rehabs. Though he has 11 strikeouts through seven innings at Indianapolis, he also has eight walks. Prior to Monday night, Moreta had walked exactly one batter in every game he appeared at in Triple-A.
Moreta issued 24 walks when he pitched for the Pirates in 2023. His walks-per-nine innings sat at 3.7, which wasn’t a major issue but was an increase from his first major league season in 2022.
Last night was his first outing without issuing a free pass. Moreta faced the minimum in the sixth inning of Indy’s game vs Nashville, striking out a pair. He earned his fourth hold of his Triple-A time in a 2-1 win for the Indians. Hopefully, that’s a sign that Moreta is finally getting that control back to where it needs to be.
Moreta’s rehab assignment will end in just a few days, where the Pirates will have to make a decision. Should they choose to bring him up to the major league club, Tanner Rainey is probably the man who gets cut for him.
But the Pirates could also option Moreta when his rehab assignment is over. If the Pirates aren’t sold on Moreta’s recent work, they could leave him in Indianapolis longer and see if he can improve more on what he’s already done.
It will be interesting to see what the Pirates do with Moreta. Personally, I want to see him on the mound again just so he can whip out a wad of cash from his back pocket as he walks to the dugout.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
Leave a comment