Mlodzinski earns spot in starting rotation

With the move, there’s now a spot open in the Pirates’ bullpen.

Carmen Mlodzinski wanted to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues, so the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander bet big on himself.

And it paid off when he earned a spot in the starting rotation.

Drafted No. 31 overall in 2020, Mlodzinski converted to a relief role in 2023. He fared well in high-leverage situations the past two seasons but expressed interest in returning to starting games during an exit meeting.

“This was something that they never closed the book on,” Mlodzinski said last month, after his first start against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Fla. “That was the first conversation, when I actually moved to the bullpen, was, ‘We’re not fully closing the book on you being a starter for this organization.’ So that was kind of the beginning of that whole thing. And then I kind of (brought) it up at the end of the year that this was something I wanted to pursue as a career.”

The Pirates gave a directive to dominate the offseason.

The 6-2, 220-pound Mlodzinski, who started 14 games at South Carolina and 36 in the minor leagues, showed up to spring training in great shape and armed with three new pitches in his arsenal. He added a sinker, splitter and curveball to his fourseam fastball, slider, sweeper and changeup for a full repertoire.

“The fact that he wanted to do it, that he had done it in the minor leagues and the fact that it was a challenge for him in the offseason,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said, “I think he took that first challenge.”

Mlodzinski was perfectly positioned to take advantage of the opening created when Jared Jones reported right elbow soreness, which could force him to start the season on the injured list.

The 26-year-old Mlodzinski posted a 3.72 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .250 batting average against with eight strikeouts against three walks in 92⁄3 innings over four appearances. He made two starts, both against the Orioles. In the first, he allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and a strikeout while throwing 12 of 13 pitches for strikes in two innings. In the second, he surrendered a solo home run but gave up only one other hit and two walks and had three strikeouts while throwing 41 of 64 pitches for strikes in three innings.

Perhaps more important, Mlodzinski averaged 95.5 mph and touched 97.1 on 26 four-seamers and 95.3 mph on a dozen sinkers while mixing in his slider, changeup and sweeper in that March 15 start.

Shelton cited the velocity and ability to throw strikes in announcing before Monday’s Grapefruit League finale against the Minnesota Twins that Mlodzinski would be in the starting rotation.

“He was pretty consistent all spring,” Shelton told reporters Monday before the Twins game in Fort Myers, Fla. “His velocity held. I think the way he took care of himself this winter, we’ve seen the breaking ball continue to get better, and he kind of earned that spot.”

The Pirates chose Mlodzinski over 23-year-old righty Thomas Harrington, who is their No. 3 prospect and ranked No. 79 in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. Harrington was one of five players reassigned to minor league camp Monday night.

Shelton warned that the Pirates haven’t determined the order of their starting rotation, though Paul Skenes is set to pitch Thursday in the season opener at Miami. The rest of the rotation includes fellow right-handers Mitch Keller and Mlodzinski and lefties Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney.

Mlodzinski might not be a traditional starter, however, as he was stretched out to only 60 pitches over four innings. It’s possible he will pitch in piggyback early, especially with left-hander Caleb Ferguson also throwing multiple innings in four of his eight appearances and recording 17 strikeouts, tied with Jones for second most behind Skenes (23).

Moving Mlodzinski to the rotation creates an opening in the bullpen, where the Pirates return two-time All-Star closer David Bednar, Colin Holderman and Dennis Santana in high-leverage roles.

After missing most of last season with left elbow inflammation and coming to big league camp as a non-roster invitee, lefty Ryan Borucki posted an 0.93 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 10 appearances this spring and is expected to be added to the Opening Day roster.

That leaves a handful of pitchers vying for the final three spots in the bullpen. The Pirates also reassigned three right-handers who were non-roster invitees — Carson Fulmer, Burch Smith and Tanner Rainey — to minor league camp Monday, which leaves them to choose from five players who are all on the 40-man roster: lefties Tim Mayza and Joey Wentz and righties Justin Lawrence, Hunter Stratton and Peter Strzelecki.

Where Wentz finished the season with the Pirates after being claimed off waivers from Detroit, Mayza was signed to a one-year, $1.15 million deal after reaching the World Series with the New York Yankees last season. The Pirates acquired Strzelecki from Cleveland in the offseason and claimed Lawrence off waivers from Colorado this spring. Stratton returned from a torn patellar tendon sooner than expected to pitch one perfect inning this spring.

While Mlodzinski will start the season in the rotation, the Pirates have starting depth at Triple-A Indianapolis with right-handers in top prospect Bubba Chandler, Harrington, Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows, who made his major league debut last September. It’s only a matter of time before they are pitching at PNC Park.