Civale (5-3) allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out two over three-plus innings to take the loss versus the Pirates on Wednesday.
Civale missed about three weeks due to right shoulder tendinitis. He threw 46 of 71 pitches for strikes, but it was performance as much as workload that caused his early exit. He's allowed 18 runs over 12 innings across his last three starts in the majors. Civale now has a 4.91 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 41:19 K:BB over 58.2 innings through 12 starts this season. His next start is projected to be on the road in San Francisco, which is about as favorable a matchup as a struggling pitcher can ask for, though Civale's recent performance means he'll still carry some risk.