The Pittsburgh Pirates officially put pitcher Gerrit Cole on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 11 with a right tricep strain. In his place, they called up pitcher Jameson Taillon. Taillon (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will start Tuesday night’s game against the New York Mets and Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.80 ERA).
Cole was injured in the third inning of Friday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and he was lifted from the game as a precaution. Over the weekend, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said it was looking less likely Cole would make his next start.
This move to the DL means Cole has the potential to reduce his missed games to two.
Taillon was sent down after making his long-awaited major league debut Wednesday. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have been able to be recalled for at least 10 days, but with Cole’s injury, an exception was made.
In his first start against the Mets, Taillon allowed three runs in six inning while earning a no-decision.
Prior to the recall, he ranked fourth in the International League with a 2.04 ERA, was first in WHIP (0.81) and batting average against (.196) and had the lowest walks per nine innings pitched (0.88).
In other news, catcher Chris Stewart is back in Pittsburgh’s starting lineup after missing Sunday’s game with a left foot injury. He was available for Sunday’s game but only in extreme emergency because he was walking around the clubhouse with a limp.
For the Mets, former Pirate Neil Walker is out of tonight’s starting lineup with a lower back injury — though he may be available to pinch hit.
The Pirates currently stand at 32-31 on the year, and a loss would put them at .500 for the first time since Apr. 23.
Tonight’s lineups
Pirates (32-31)
- John Jaso 1B
- Andrew McCutchen CF
- Gregory Polanco RF
- Starling Marte LF
- Jung Ho Kang 3B
- Josh Harrison 2B
- Jordy Mercer SS
- Chris Stewart C
- Jameson Taillon P
Mets (34-28)
- Alejandro De Aza LF
- Asdrubal Cabrera SS
- Curtis Granderson RF
- Yoenis Cespedes CF
- Kelly Johnson 2B
- Wilmer Flores 3B
- James Loney 1B
- Kevin Plawecki C
- Jacob deGrom P
