BUCS’ ARMS FAIL THEM IN SERIES OPENER

The Pirates’ pitchers never gave them a chance last night in the series opener against the Tigers.

Greg Brown has the story.

Game Two of the series is tonight.  Braxton Ashcraft (12-5, 3.88 ERA), coming off a complete-game win in which he struck out ten and threw only 85 pitches against the Marlins last Wednesday, faces Tigers’ righty Keider Montero (9-7, 3.22 ERA).  Airtime is 6:15, first pitch at 6:40 on WCCS.

Oneil Cruz was activated by the Pirates before the game but did not play.  Ronny Simon was returned to Indianapolis to open a roster spot for Cruz, who had been out since June 8^th after fracturing two metacarpals in his left hand on a slide against Atlanta.  He was 3-for-17 for Altoona last week in his rehab stint.  Senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Cruz will have pain in the hand for the rest of the season and will have to deal with some swelling.

Shortstop Konnor Griffin will transition out of the splints he’s been wearing on his injured left hand and can begin playing with the hand taped.  Tomzyck said Griffin will go to Pirate City in Bradenton when the Bucs leave Thursday for their nine-game West Coast road trip.  He’s eligible to return from the sixty-day injured list on September 4^th.

In other Pirates injury news, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn will accompany Griffin to Bradenton to continue rehabbing his left quad injury.  He was hurt August 1^st and is on an eight-week timeline for return, which essentially means until the end of the season.

Catcher Endy Rodriguez is getting a second opinion this week on his left hip inflammation.

And 2022 first round draft pick Termarr Johnson, who has had another disappointing season with Indianapolis, is scheduled for reconstructive knee surgery on Thursday for his left ACL and LCL after tearing the ligaments running to first base last week.