The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the biggest surprises of the young MLB season. However, the Pirates have been dealt a tough injury blow, taking away some of the wind out of their sails.
Starting pitcher Vince Velasquez has undergone season-ending elbow surgery, via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Velasquez was forced to leave his last start against the Miami Marlins due to elbow discomfort. Now, the Pirates are facing a long layoff from one of their best starters.
Velasquez signed a one-year deal with the Pirates this offseason to very little fanfare. However, before the injury, the right-hander was putting together arguably the best season of his MLB career. Through eight games, Velasquez pitched to a 3.86 ERA and a 37/14 K/BB ratio. While it's obviously a small sample size, his ERA would be the best of his career over a full season.
He ranked second on the Pirates in ERA among pitchers with 30+ innings pitched. Furthermore, his 8.9 K/9 ranks second-best while his 3.4 BB/9 ranks third amongst those same pitchers.
Exceeding expectations, the Pirates are just one game back in the NL Central with their 32-29 record. Their impressive pitching has helped lead the charge. With Velasquez doing his part, Pittsburgh rotation currently ranks 13th in the MLB with their 4.12 ERA.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, they'll have to keep their winning ways up without Vince Velasquez. His elbow surgery will bench him for the remainder of this season at the very least. Pittsburgh can only hope that Velasquez looks just as sharp if they choose to bring him back this offseason.
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