The Pittsburgh Pirates have promoted relief pitcher Victor Black to high-A Bradenton. Black was selected in the compensation portion of the first round in the 2009 draft. He’s dealt with injuries over the last two years, pitching just 4.2 innings in 2010. In West Virginia this year he put up a 5.28 ERA in 29 innings.
The Pirates have been working with Black lately to build up his stamina, getting him to pitch multi-inning outings, and getting his outings closer together. He’s responded well in some outings to the increased workload, but has struggled in other outings. Considering that he missed over a year with shoulder issues, this year can pretty much be chalked up to a rehab year. However, it only further puts Black behind schedule. Under a healthy timeline, he should have already been in Bradenton, and ideally, in Altoona by this point. I wouldn’t say the injuries have totally derailed his career, but they’ve been a serious set back to this point. Getting him up to high-A is a step in the right direction.
