Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Mauled by Tigers in sixth loss
Rotowire
Mlodzinski (6-6) took the loss against the Tigers on Monday, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk in three innings. He struck out three.
The Tigers pounced on Mlodzinski right away, tagging the right-hander for each of his four runs allowed in the first two innings. He's fared poorly since returning to Pittsburgh's rotation, giving up at least four runs while working three innings or fewer in three consecutive starts. Provided he keeps his rotation spot, Mlodzinski won't be a recommended fantasy streamer against the Dodgers his next time out. He has a career-worst 4.03 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 81:36 K:BB over 102.2 innings.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Set for another start
Rotowire
Mlodzinski will start Monday's contest against the Tigers, Dominic Campbell of SI.com reports.
Mlodzinski returned to the Pirates' starting rotation in early August after Mitch Keller (arm) suffered a season-ending injury, and he will now make his third start since then. The 27-year-old has combined to pitch 5.1 innings, allowing nine runs on 12 hits and four walks while striking out two batters over his last two outings. Mlodzinski hasn't exceeded 70 pitches in an outing since June 15, so it's unclear how deep he'll be able to go against Detroit.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Routed in loss
Rotowire
Mlodzinski (6-5) took the loss Wednesday, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks over 2.1 innings in an 8-2 loss to the Marlins. He struck out one.
Mlodzinski has only pitched 5.1 innings and has given up nine runs in his first two starts since May 25. With Mitch Keller (arm) shut down for the rest of the season, Mlodzinski clearly hasn't been able to capitalize on the recent pair of starting opportunities that development has afforded him. Despite the consecutive rocky outings, the right-hander is likely to remain in the rotation and make his next start next week versus the Tigers.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Early exit against Mets
Rotowire
Mlodzinski (6-4) took the loss Friday, coughing up five runs on seven hits and a walk over three innings as the Pirates were downed 6-4 by the Mets. He struck out one.
A three-run homer by Marcus Semien in the third inning was the big blow off Mlodzinski, who was making his first start since May 25. The right-hander did get stretched out to 63 pitches (40 strikes), and while he sports a 3.51 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 77:32 K:BB through 97.1 innings over 26 appearances (10 starts) on the year, he'll need better results to stick around in the rotation as the replacement for Mitch Keller (arm). Mlodzinski will get another chance to show he can handle the job on the road next week in Miami.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Starting Friday's game
Rotowire
Mlodzinski will start Friday's game against the Mets, Jose Negron of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Mlodzinski is getting another opportunity to start for the Pirates after Mitch Keller (arm) went down with a season-ending injury. Although each of Mlodzinski's last 14 appearances have come in relief, he has covered multiple innings in all of those outings, including going three shutout frames in each of his last two trips to the hill. He threw 47 pitches in his last appearance Aug. 1, so Mlodzinski should be handle around 60 pitches Friday.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Earns second save
Rotowire
Mlodzinski threw three scoreless innings with three strikeouts while allowing two hits and no walks to earn the save Wednesday against the Mariners.
Mlodzinski continues to serve in a bulk-relief role, this time following Braxton Ashcraft while finishing off a blowout win for the Pirates. He earned his second save in the process and has not been charged with an earned run in each of his last three appearances. However, Mlodzinski's fantasy relevance remains limited because he's pitching about once a week on a starter's schedule, yet with lesser volume and win potential.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Returns from restricted list
Rotowire
The Pirates activated Mlodzinski (personal) from the restricted list Monday, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Mlodzinski's stay on the restricted list lasted 24 hours after he expressed frustration following his removal from the Pirates rotation following the return of Jared Jones from the injured list this past weekend. While speaking to Mackey on Monday, Mlodzinski said that he's willing to do whatever he can to help the team, and for now, he's expected to fill a key role out of the bullpen. The right-hander had uneven results as a starter and has often been hit hard this season, as he currently sits in the second-percentile of all pitchers with a hard-hit rate of 50.9 percent. The move to relief should enhance Mlodzinski's effectiveness, and the Pirates could even deploy him in high-leverage spots since the back end of the bullpen has been a weak spot for the team this season.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Headed to bullpen
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Holds Cubs in check Monday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Tosses five shutout innings
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Bulk-relief outing on tap
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Takes loss against Giants
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Fans career-high 10 in second win
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Struggles again in short outing
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Vying for rotation spot
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Earns win Saturday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Pitches in relief Friday
Rotowire
Mlodzinski (3-8) was the pitcher of record in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Brewers after giving up two earned runs on four hits and one walk over one inning of relief.
Mlodzinski had started in both of his previous two appearances, but he covered just three and two innings in those contests while being piggybacked by Bubba Chandler. The Pirates deployed Mlodzinski in a more traditional relief role Friday, but the right-hander failed to preserve a 2-1 lead and needed 33 pitches just to record three outs. Mlodzinski had been lined up to open Sunday's series finale, but it's unclear if his usage out of the bullpen Friday will result in the Pirates altering their plans.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Headed for piggyback start Tuesday
Rotowire
Mlodzinski is listed as the Pirates' starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers at PNC Park, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Mlodzinski will receive another turn through the Pittsburgh rotation, but for the second outing in a row, he'll most likely be deployed in tandem with rookie Bubba Chandler. In his previous start this past Wednesday versus the Cardinals, Mlodzinski was lifted after allowing one earned run over three innings and 46 pitches, with Chandler then taking over and getting credited with the win after tossing four shutout frames. Even if he's able to keep the Dodgers offense at bay Tuesday, Mlodzinski is unlikely to reach the five innings he would need to qualify for a win, making him an unappealing streaming option.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Goes three innings in start
Rotowire
Mlodzinski didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts across three innings.
Mlodzinski drew his 11th start of the season, though he threw just 46 pitches before handing the ball off to Bubba Chandler. Mlodzinski has been excellent in August, owning a 2.04 ERA and a 22:6 K:BB across 17.2 innings spanning seven appearances. Unless the Pirates look to give a starter an additional day of rest or move to a six-man rotation, Mlodzinski should move back to his typical relief role.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Slated to start bullpen game
Rotowire
Mlodzinski will serve as the Pirates' opening pitcher in a bullpen game Sunday against the Cubs, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Mlodzinski will open what's expected to be a bullpen game Sunday after expected starter Andrew Heaney was shifted to the bullpen Friday. Mlodzinski is capable of pitching multiple innings, but he's unlikely to pitch deep enough into Sunday's contest to qualify for a win.
