Wandy Rodriguez will be making a rehab start tomorrow in the International League playoffs, which will be the second time Rodriguez has pitched a rehab game this year. Last time he threw four innings about two weeks after he went on the disabled list, then suffered a series of setbacks and never got back on the mound.
The Pirates have said that Rodriguez probably won’t return to a role where he could throw more than three innings out of the bullpen. There are three Pirates affiliates in the playoffs, but that won’t give Rodriguez enough time to get stretched out. Normally a pitcher goes three innings or 50 pitches his first time out, then follows that with four innings, five innings, and so on until he reaches the point where he can throw 100 pitches in a start. If Indianapolis advances, Rodriguez could make additional starts. However, they’d have to win the entire Triple-A playoffs to give him enough time to get fully stretched out. Right now they’re down 1-0 in a best of five series against Durham.
Jameson Taillon will take the mound after Rodriguez. Taillon was the originally scheduled starter.