Pirates' Bubba Chandler: Nabs four-inning save in debut
Rotowire
Chandler recorded the save in Friday's 9-0 win over the Rockies, allowing two hits over four scoreless relief innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.
The 22-year-old right-hander had trouble with his control at times in Triple-A Indianapolis this season, but Chandler was dialed in during his big-league debut Friday, firing 29 of 40 pitches for strikes while piggybacking Braxton Ashcraft in a combined shutout. Chandler topped out at 100.4 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball and reached triple digits with his final pitch of the night as well, highlighting his impressive upside. The Pirates could move him into the rotation as some point down the stretch, but Chandler is just as likely to get his feet wet in a bulk-relief role for the rest of 2025 before competing for a starting job next spring.
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Pirates' Bubba Chandler: Officially promoted to majors
Rotowire
The Pirates selected Chandler's contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.
Chandler is expected to make his major-league debut out of the bullpen in Friday's game against the Rockies, most likely pitching multiple innings of relief behind starter Braxton Ashcraft. Though manager Don Kelly has indicated that Chandler will fill a bulk-relief role for the Pirates to begin his time in the majors, the 22-year-old could get the chance to make starts before the end of the season. He posted a 4.05 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 121:53 K:BB in 100 innings for Indianapolis prior to his promotion.
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Pirates' Bubba Chandler: Pitching behind Ashcraft on Friday
Rotowire
Pirates manager Don Kelly confirmed that Chandler will be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday and will be available in a bulk role in the bullpen behind starter Braxton Ashcraft, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Kelly didn't go into specifics regarding what the extent of Chandler's workload might look like if he makes his big-league debut Friday, as his usage may hinge on how deep into the game Ashcraft is able to work after covering an MLB season-high five innings last Friday versus the Cubs. Ashcraft will be making his third straight turn through the rotation after getting his feet wet as a reliever in 16 of his first 17 big-league outings, and Kelly suggested that Chandler could follow a similar path that may eventually culminate in the top prospect getting starts before the end of the season. Chandler had been working exclusively out of the rotation at Triple-A and struck out 121 batters over 100 innings, but a bloated 12 percent walk rate played a large part in his elevated 1.48 WHIP. The Pirates are hopeful that pitching out of the bullpen initially could take some pressure off the 23-year-old and help him harness his command, but wringing fantasy value from him -- even as a streaming option -- could prove to be difficult if he follows an unpredictable pitching schedule.
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Pirates' Bubba Chandler: Will be promoted to pitch in relief
Rotowire
The Pirates will select Chandler's contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday and are expected to use him in a long-relief role, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Chandler's long-awaited arrival to the majors will finally occur, though it won't be in the role fantasy managers were hoping for. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com likens the Pirates' expected usage of Chandler down the stretch to how they've deployed Braxton Ashcraft, who pitched as a multi-inning reliever before moving into the rotation earlier this month. It will be difficult for Chandler to churn out fantasy value in such a role, unless his ascension to the rotation occurs much quicker than Ashcraft's. Chandler has had an up-and-down season with Indianapolis, collecting a 4.05 ERA and 121:53 K:BB over an even 100 innings. He holds a 7.79 ERA and 17:12 K:BB across 17.1 frames in his last four outings with the Pirates' top minor-league affiliate.
Chandler threw six scoreless innings, striking out seven while allowing five hits and two walks with Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.
Chandler had a turbulent June with Indianapolis, failing to complete more than four innings across five starts with a 12:11 K:BB in the month. However, he's now turned in consecutive scoreless outings to begin July, working a combined 12 frames while posting a 13:4 K:BB. His timeline to reach the majors remains unclear, though the Pirates are likely to deal at least one member of their rotation before the trade deadline, potentially clearing Chandler's path.
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