Clint Hurdle provided some updates on the injuries to Jeff Karstens and Russell Martin after today’s game.
Hurdle said that Karstens threw a bullpen of 26 pitches earlier this week, throwing only his fastball and changeup. Tomorrow he will throw a complete bullpen, mixing in his breaking ball. The team will evaluate his status from there. He will need 1-2 live batting practice sessions before he gets in any game action. Karstens was shut down last week with a sore shoulder.
Russell Martin had a good day today, according to Hurdle. Tomorrow the team will get him active and get him swinging the bat. If that goes well, the plan is to get him in the game on Saturday as the designated hitter. Martin was scratched from game action on Tuesday with a sore right shoulder.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
