INDIANAPOLIS — One injured pitcher in the organization is close to rejoining the ranks of the healthy.
No official announcement has been made, but it appears Indianapolis right-hander Chad Kuhl will start the series opener at Columbus on Monday. Kuhl left his previous start against Charlotte on July 23 with right triceps discomfort, but was not put on the disabled list.
He threw a 26-pitch bullpen session on Friday that went well, according to both Kuhl and Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor. But more importantly, Kuhl felt good on Saturday, the day after throwing the bullpen.
“It feels normal,” Kuhl said. “It feels like nothing ever happened and I feel good.”
Kuhl said he expects to start the first game of a road series at Columbus on Monday. If that is the case, he would have missed just one start due to the injury.
“I think we’re going to be on track to get him back in the rotation,” Treanor said.
Kuhl believes he injured himself on a bunt play in the first inning of the outing against Charlotte. Carlos Sanchez placed a bunt down the third-base line and Kuhl fielded the ball, but made a quick, awkward looking throw that was well errant of first base.
“It was just a weird feeling,” Kuhl said. “It was just a weird throw, kind of underhand, side-armish. I didn’t feel it when I was pitching but then I came in and once the adrenaline wore off and the inning was over, I was like, ‘Oh, I did something.’ When I would straighten it there was just that weird tightness.”
Kuhl was making his first start with Indianapolis since June 20, after making four starts with the Pirates. His return to the Indianapolis rotation will give the Pirates another option moving forward if Tyler Glasnow takes longer than expected to return from the 15-day disabled list with shoulder discomfort.
