Mears (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on Tuesday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Mears has been out since the beginning of the season while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, but he appears to be on the cusp of a return in the coming weeks. The 25-year-old produced a 5.01 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with 23 strikeouts over 23.1 innings in 30 appearances with Pittsburgh last season.