Mlodzinski allowed three runs on five hits, no walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out four over three innings of bulk relief in Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Dodgers.
After two innings from opener Lake Bachar, Mlodzinski entered in bulk relief and wasn't overly effective against a well-regarded Dodgers offense. The right-hander has essentially taken over as the Pirates' fifth starter since Mitch Keller (arm) went down with a season-ending injury, but he's struggled to a 12.71 ERA over his past four outings. Overall, Mlodzinski owns a 6-6 record with a 4.17 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 85:36 K:BB across 105.2 innings and 29 appearances (12 starts). The 27-year-old is tentatively lined up to pitch Saturday against the Cardinals, though it remains to be seen if he'll be deployed as a traditional starter or bulk reliever.