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It's been a chaotic year for Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Andrew Heaney. In June, he had to leave a game against the Philadelphia Phillies due to injury.
Now he is being sent to the bullpen for the remainder of the season, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pirates manager Don Kelly confirmed as such on Saturday. This weekend, Pittsburgh will be in the midst of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.
Before that, they handed the Milwaukee Brewers their 12th consecutive victory. At this point, the Pirates have a record of 52-71. They are in last place in the National League Central.
As for Heaney, he has a 5-10 record with a 4.99 ERA. Earlier this year, Pittsburgh signed Heaney to a $5 million contract.
Heaney has been in the league since 2014. In 2012, he was drafted by the Miami Marlins. Since then, Heaney pitched for the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.
Overall, he has a record of 56-72 and has an ERA of 4.51. Heaney has started in 208 games. Additionally, he has 1,153 career strikeouts.
The approach the Pirates are taking to Andrew Heaney
Pittsburgh is putting Heaney in the bullpen due to some recent struggles in his last 10 games. During that stretch, he allowed 39 runs, 37 earned runs, and 13 home runs in 40 2/3 innings.
Along the way, he accumulated an ERA of 8.19. In his career, Heaney has made 19 relief appearances.
Recently, the Pirates have experienced injuries afflicting their bullpen. Furthermore, they made additions and subtractions due to trades.
Overall, the Pirates are hoping to maximize Heaney's strengths such as his fastball and shape into a valuable presence out of the bullpen.
Plus, they are looking to avoid situations in which Heaney would face lineups multiple times.
Additionally, the hope is for Heaney to get back to form and provide some effectiveness.
