Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Lands on restricted list
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The Pirates placed Mlodzinksi on the restricted list Sunday.
The official reasoning for the move hasn't been disclosed, but it's unlikely to be a coincidence that it comes just a few days after Mlodzinski was bumped from the starting rotation to the bullpen. The right-hander has a 3.76 ERA across 55 innings this season, though his 1.42 WHIP and 46:20 K:BB paint a less encouraging picture of his performance.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Headed to bullpen
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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: 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.
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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.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Pitches in relief Friday
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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.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Headed for piggyback start Tuesday
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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.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Goes three innings in start
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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.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Slated to start bullpen game
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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.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Earns win in relief
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Mlodzinski (2-5) allowed two hits over 3.2 scoreless innings of relief against the Mets on Sunday. He struck out two and earned the win.
Mlodzinski took on a bulk-relief role in the blowout victory after Mike Burrows and Genesis Cabrera combined to allow one run over 5.1 frames. Mlodzinski threw 35 of 54 pitches for strikes and secured his first win since April 7. Since returning from Triple-A Indianapolis to join the big club's bullpen, he's produced a 3.09 ERA across 11.2 innings. For the year, Mlodzinski owns a 5.08 ERA with a 36:16 K:BB in 51.1 frames.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Added to bullpen
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The Pirates recalled Mlodzinski from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Mlodzinski is expected to serve in a bulk-relief role, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He made nine starts for the Pirates earlier this season, collecting a 5.67 ERA and 28:12 K:BB over 39.2 innings.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Ousted from rotation
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The Pirates are expected to option Mlodzinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
After working primarily in relief over his first two seasons in the big leagues, Mlodzinski surprisingly emerged from spring training as a member of the Pirates' Opening Day rotation, but he always appeared to be little more than a placeholder until one of Pittsburgh's many starting pitching prospects was deemed big-league ready. Right-hander Mike Burrows is in line to get a call-up from Triple-A and will enter the rotation Thursday against the Brewers in place of Mlodzinski, who covered five innings in just three of his nine starts on the season while submitting a 5.67 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 8.9 K-BB%. He'll presumably stay stretched out as a member of the rotation at Indianapolis, though Mlodzinski could work out of the bullpen the next time he gets the call back to the big club.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Fans six in win
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Mlodzinski (1-1) allowed a run on five hits and two walks over five innings Monday, striking out six and earning a win over the Cardinals.
Mlodzinski worked four shutout frames before the Cardinals put a run on the board in the fifth inning. It was a much more effective outing after he coughed up four runs in 3.2 frames during his season debut against the Rays. Still, Mlodzinski needed 92 pitches (54 strikes) to get through five innings. He'll carry a 5.19 ERA into his next matchup, which is lined up to be in Cincinnati this weekend.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Opening season as fifth starter
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Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Mlodzinski will begin the season as the team's fifth starter, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
All 75 of Mlodzinski's appearances in the majors to this point have either been in relief or opener assignments, but he was being stretched out during spring training and was used mostly as a starting pitcher in the minors prior to 2023. The 26-year-old's workload figures to be relatively limited, at least initially, and the Pirates also have top prospects Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington looming at Triple-A Indianapolis if Mlodzinski falters.
