The Pirates added pitching depth over the weekend to help their bullpen during an extended stretch without an off day.
Pittsburgh recalled right-handed reliever Cam Sanders during the Milwaukee series and remains with the Pirates for the first of four against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Braxton Ashcraft was placed on the bereavement list as a corresponding move. Ben Cherington said the expectation is that Ashcraft will return to the Pirates during the Cardinals series.
Ashcraft is in line to start on Tuesday
night at PNC Park.
Sanders joins the team for the second time this season, looking for a longer stay than before.
He pitched two innings on Sunday in a 5-0 loss to the Brewers. Sanders didn’t allow a run on one hit, one walk, and struck out one hitter.
Sanders’ previous outing on April 18 was a struggle. He failed to record three outs and allowed four runs on three hits and a walk against Tampa Bay. Both outs were strikeouts, but promoted Sanders to be sent back down the next day.
The Pirates play their seventh of a 13-game stretch without an off day, concluding on Sunday hosting the Reds.
The team will have the first three Mondays of May off.
The 16-12 Pirates face an important early-season stretch against the Cardinals and Reds in a jam-packed NL Central as all five teams are over .500.
