Barco (shoulder) was activated from the 7-day injured list by Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Barco was diagnosed with a mild muscle strain in his left shoulder last week but missed just 10 days of action. The 24-year-old left-hander has made eight starts at Triple-A this season and has turned in a microscopic 0.89 ERA and 11.9 K/9 across 30.1 innings of work. Barco is viewed as one of the organization's top pitching prospects.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Out with strained shoulder
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The Pirates announced Wednesday that Barco has been diagnosed with a mild muscle strain in his left shoulder, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Triple-A Indianapolis placed Barco on its 7-day injured list Sunday, but the 24-year-old isn't expected to be headed for an extended absence. He's since resumed throwing out to 120 feet after suffering the injury, which bodes well for his chances of returning to action at Indianapolis before the end of the month or perhaps in early June. Barco made two starts for the Triple-A club since being promoted earlier this month after opening the season with a 34:7 K:BB over 25.2 scoreless frames in six starts with Double-A Altoona.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Shut down at Triple-A
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Triple-A Indianapolis placed Barco on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.
Barco sustained the injury at some point during his most recent start for Indianapolis last Thursday, when he was lifted midway through the first inning after allowing two earned runs on one hit and three walks. The 24-year-old lefty had enjoyed a strong start to the season prior to that outing, producing a 0.30 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 39:10 K:BB across 30 innings over his seven starts between Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Moved to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Barco was reassigned to minor-league camp Thursday.
The Pirates' top left-handed pitching prospect, Barco made two appearances in Grapefruit League play this spring, allowing four hits, two walks and four earned runs across 2.2 innings, striking out one. Barco advanced to Double-A last season before his 2024 campaign was cut short in July due to a leg injury. He entered spring training healthy and figures to open the year back in Double-A.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Sidelined with lower-body injury
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Friday that Barco was placed on Double-A Altoona's 7-day injured list July 30 with a "left lower-extremity" injury and will be confined to a walking boot for three weeks, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tomczyk labeled Barco's injury as a "stress response" rather than a stress reaction, but with Double-A Altoona's season coming to an end Sept. 15, the left-hander could end up being shut down for 2024. Barco had missed most of the 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and missed about two weeks of action in July while he was on High-A Greensboro's development list. He returned July 21 with Altoona and made two starts at the Double-A level before being shut down with the lower-extremity injury.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Resting after strong first half
Rotowire
Barco, who has logged 62 innings in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022, was placed on the development list for High-A Greensboro on Tuesday.
Barco had surgery in May of 2022 and threw 18.1 innings in late 2023 after returning. He has been excellent thus far for the Grasshoppers, logging a 3.34 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 77 strikeouts across 16 appearances, but Pittsburgh is keeping a close eye on his workload. It's unclear when Barco will return from his break on the development list.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Active at Single-A
Rotowire
Barco (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list and assigned to Single-A Bradenton on Aug. 3.
He walked two and struck out two while recording just two outs in his first start for the Marauders on Sunday. Barco built up to four innings in his final rehab start in the Florida Complex League, so it's a bit surprising he recorded only two outs in his first Single-A start. He underwent Tommy John surgery prior to getting selected by the Pirates with the 44th overall pick in last year's draft.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Rehabbing in FCL
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Barco (elbow) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on July 20 and has turned in a 1.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB across nine innings over his first three appearances.
Barco is technically on Triple-A Indianapolis' 60-day injured list, but once he's activated, he'll likely remain in the FCL or head to Single-A Bradenton. The 44th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, Barco didn't make his professional debut last season while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.