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Pirates manager Don Kelly said Thursday that Mlodzinski has been moved to the bullpen, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Mlodzinski has held his own as a member of the Pirates rotation this season, collecting a 3.76 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 46:20 K:BB over 55 innings. However, with the right-hander having significant relief experience and the Pirates needing bullpen help from the right side, it makes sense to shift Mlodzinski to a relief role to accommodate the return of Jared Jones (elbow), who will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Friday's game against the Twins.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Holds Cubs in check Monday
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Mlodzinski took a no-decision Monday against the Cubs, allowing one run on five hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out two.
Mlodzinski is on a strong run on the hill of late, tossing at least five innings while yielding two runs or fewer in four consecutive starts. The 27-year-old right-hander fanned a career-high 10 during his May 2 outing against the Reds, but he's tallied just six punchouts altogether across his past four appearances. Mlodzinski should still carry some streaming appeal this weekend against the Twins, posting a 3.76 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 46:20 K:BB across 55 innings.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Tosses five shutout innings
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Mlodzinski (4-3) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out one over five shutout innings to earn the win over the Cardinals on Wednesday.
Mlodzinski was back in a starting role after working in bulk relief versus the Rockies last Thursday. He's won three of his four starts in May, allowing a total of nine runs over 21.2 innings with a 14:6 K:BB this month. For the season, the 27-year-old now has a 3.96 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 44:17 K:BB through 50 innings over 10 appearances (eight starts). His next outing is projected to be at home versus the Cubs early next week.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Earns win in bulk role
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Mlodzinski (3-3) earned the win Thursday over the Rockies, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out two.
After Mason Montgomery and Evan Sisk combined to blank Colorado through two innings, Mlodzinski entered in the third with the Pirates already ahead 3-0. The 27-year-old Mlodzinski has had an up-and-down year overall, but he's now allowed just two runs in each of his past two outings. The right-hander's ERA sits at 4.40 with a 1.44 WHIP and 43:16 K:BB across 45 innings this season.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Bulk-relief outing on tap
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Mlodzinski is slated to pitch in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Mason Montgomery in Thursday's game against the Rockies in Pittsburgh, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Mlodzinski will work behind an opener for the second time this season, with the right-hander having previously followed Montgomery in an April 15 game against the Nationals. The arrangement didn't end up suppressing Mlodzinski's workload; in fact, the 27-year-old covered six innings in that game against Washington, matching his longest appearance of the season. Montgomery is likely to work just an inning or two before handing the ball over to Mlodzinski, who takes a 4.50 ERA and 1.45 WHIP into Thursday's contest.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Takes loss against Giants
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Mlodzinski (2-3) allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out one without walking a batter over six innings, taking the loss Friday versus the Giants.
A Rafael Devers home run and a Heliot Ramos RBI single accounted for the two runs on his line. Mlodzinski's single strikeout was a bit of a disappointment after he racked up 10 punchouts versus the Reds last Saturday. This was his first quality start of the season, and it ended a stretch of three poor outings in which he allowed a total of 15 runs (14 earned) across 13.2 innings. He's had fairly mixed results overall with a 4.50 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 41:13 K:BB through 40 innings over eight appearances (seven starts). The right-hander offers strikeout upside in a favorable projected matchup next week at home versus the Rockies.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Fans career-high 10 in second win
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Mlodzinski (2-2) picked up the win in Saturday's 17-7 rout of the Reds, giving up five runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out 10.
The 10 strikeouts were a career high for Mlodzinski, but he fell short of lasting six innings for the second time this season and was lifted after 101 pitches (67 strikes), including a dominant 40 called or swinging strikes. The right-hander will take a 4.76 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 40:13 K:BB through 34 innings into his next start, which is set to come on the road next weekend in San Francisco.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Struggles again in short outing
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Mlodzinski (1-2) took the loss Sunday against the Brewers, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and one walk in 3.2 innings. He struck out four.
Following a pair of scoreless outings in his April 10 and April 15 appearances, Mlodzinski has faltered in each of his past two starts. The right-hander has now coughed up at least four runs in back-to-back outings, failing to work at least five frames in both. While Mlodzinski sports a strong 30:11 K:BB through 28.1 frames so far, his 4.13 ERA and 1.45 WHIP make him tough to trust in his next scheduled start versus the division-rival Reds.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Yields five runs in Tuesday's loss
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Mlodzinski (1-1) took the loss against the Rangers on Tuesday, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six across 4.1 innings.
Mlodzinski worked in a long-relief role in his previous outing behind opener Mason Montgomery, but Mlodzinski was on the mound from the get-go in Tuesday's contest. He appeared to settle in after giving up two runs in the second inning, but Mlodzinski was unable to escape the fifth, giving up three runs in the frame while recording just one out. It was the first time this season that he gave up more than two runs in a game, and through five outings this season, he sits at a 3.28 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB across 24.2 innings. Mlodzinski will look to bounce back in his next start, which is tentatively slated for this weekend on the road against the Brewers.
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Shines in long relief Wednesday
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Mlodzinski (1-0) earned the win Wednesday against the Nationals, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out five.
Working in long relief behind opener Mason Montgomery, Mlodzinski delivered six sterling frames for the Pirates on Wednesday. It was easily the best outing of the year so far for the right-hander, who set a season high in innings and gave up a season-low two hits. Mlodzinski has a 1.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over his first 20.1 innings (three starts), and it remains to be seen how Pittsburgh will opt to deploy him in his next scheduled appearance versus Texas.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Working in bulk relief Wednesday
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Mlodzinski is expected to cover the bulk of the innings in relief behind opening pitcher Mason Montgomery in Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Despite pitching to a 2.51 ERA over his first three starts, Mlodzinski is still in search of his first win after working fewer than five innings his first two times out and taking a no-decision in his most recent outing. With Montgomery handling the first frame or two of Wednesday's contest, Mlodzinski should have improved odds of coming away with a win while serving as the Bucs' primary pitcher out of the bullpen.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Blanks Cubs in no-decision
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Mlodzinski didn't factor into the decision during Friday's 2-0 win over the Cubs, allowing six hits and three walks over 5.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two.
The 27-year-old right-hander wasn't particularly efficient, throwing 48 of 81 pitches for strikes, but he got locked in a 0-0 pitchers' duel with Shota Imanaga until exiting the mound in the sixth inning. Mlodzinski is still looking for his first win of 2026, but he'll take a 2.51 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB through 14.1 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Nationals.
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Labors late in no-decision
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Mlodzinski did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks over 4.2 innings in a 3-2 victory over Baltimore. He struck out five.
The right-hander started off strong with just two baserunners allowed through three scoreless frames, but he gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in the fourth inning and was unable to make it through the fifth. Mlodzinski's 4.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts through his first two starts of the season are decent, but his 1.56 WHIP and nine combined innings are less encouraging. A road matchup with the Cubs likely awaits next weekend.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Strikes out eight in no-decision
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Mlodzinski did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Mets, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks with eight strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Mlodzinski threw 55 of 85 pitches for strikes and generated just eight whiffs while mostly keeping the Mets in check. The 27-year-old posted a career-high 99 innings last season working as both a starter and reliever, so he likely won't go deep into games often early in 2026. He's slated for a home matchup against the Orioles next weekend.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Clinches rotation spot
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The Pirates announced that Mlodzinski will start the team's third game of the season next Sunday against the Mets at Citi Field, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Mlodzinski has emerged from spring training with a rotation spot after a wide-open competition that included Jose Urquidy, Hunter Barco and non-roster invitee Mike Clevinger. Urquidy and Clevinger could both break camp as members of the bullpen, and the Pirates could look to deploy either pitcher in tandem with Mlodzinski, who built up to five innings and 64 pitches in his most recent Grapefruit League outing March 14. Mlodzinski made 12 starts in 34 appearances for Pittsburgh in 2025 but never reached six innings in any of those outings, finishing with a 3.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 89:27 K:BB across 99 frames.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Vying for rotation spot
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Mlodzinski is competing for a spot in the Pirates' rotation, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
Mlodzinski is getting another chance to work as a starter, a role he held at the start of 2025 before shifting to the bullpen. He was more effective as a reliever, and the Pirates have a strong projected rotation with several depth options -- a combination that could ultimately lead Mlodzinski back to the bullpen to begin 2026. He's made one start so far this spring, striking out three while allowing only one hit across two shutout innings.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Earns win Saturday
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Mlodzinski (4-8) allowed one hit and struck out three across two scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday against the Nationals.
Mlodzinski followed Bubba Chandler into the game, entering in the seventh inning with the score tied 1-1. Mlodzinski generated six swinging strikes on 30 total pitches to turn in his second consecutive scoreless relief appearance. Since the start of August, he has a 2.55 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with a 29:10 K:BB across 24.2 innings while pitching primarily in a bulk-relief role.
