Curtis didn't factor into the decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings of relief. He struck out four.
The Pirates elected to use Mason Montgomery as an opener for the nightcap before handing the ball to Curtis as the bulk reliever for his big-league debut, and the 24-year-old right-hander turned in an impressive performance. Curtis tossed 42 of 68 pitches for strikes and left the mound with Pittsburgh ahead 3-0, only to see the bullpen melt down late and cost him the win. He's struggled somewhat in the minors this season, managing a 4.96 ERA across 74.1 innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, but his 97:40 K:BB highlights his potential if he can sort out his control issues. Now that he's on the 40-man roster and has shown he can get big-league hitters out, he could be on the short list to join the rotation if Pittsburgh has a vacancy.