Nineteen games into the season, Paul Skenes has the highest ERA among starters of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Who would have possibly seen that coming?
That statement is far less about the work of Skenes, who has rebounded to his usual self after that nightmare Opening Day, and much more about the stellar work that the rotation has done so far this season.
Part of that rotation includes Carmen Mlodzinski, the right-hander whose best work over his major league career has usually come as a reliever.
Last season, the Pirates tried Mlodzinski as a starter in their rotation. The former first-round pick from 2020 had been a starter through several levels of minor league ball, before the organization converted him to a reliever upon arriving in Triple-A. Leaning on his arsenal and past experience as a starter, the Pirates hoped he could fill a rotation spot for them.
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