The Pittsburgh Pirates made four roster moves on Sunday, most significantly sending starting pitcher Bailey Falter to the injured list. To take Falter’s place on the active roster, the Pirates selected the contract of pitcher Brent Honeywell Jr. To make room for Honeywell on the 40-man roster, pitcher Justin Bruihl was designated for assignment. Finally, catcher Henry Davis was activated from the IL and, to the surprise of nobody, sent to the minor leagues.
We have selected the contract of RHP Brent Honeywell Jr. from Triple-A Indianapolis and placed LHP Bailey Falter on the 15-day injured list. To make room for Honeywell Jr. on the 40-man roster, LHP Justin Bruihl has been designated for assignment.
In addition, C Henry Davis had…
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 7, 2024
Pirates’ Bailey Falter Goes on IL, Among Other Roster Moves
Falter left Saturday’s start against the New York Mets at PNC Park in the third inning after the Mets loaded the bases with nobody out. Falter felt something in his elbow. The official word is that the left-hander is out with left triceps tendinitis.
It’s a big blow to the Pirates, who also placed starter Jared Jones on the IL this week. An unpopular choice to break camp and be awarded a starting berth, Falter silenced the critics with stellar work. At the end of May, he had an ERA of 3.22. He’s since come back to Earth a bit, sporting a 4-7 record, 4.08 ERA, and 1.196 WHIP, although many of those losses were low-scoring games where he got no support.
It’s unknown at this time how long Falter will be out. As with Jones, the only bright spot is that the All-Star break is coming next week.
Honeywell In, Bruihl Out
It’s unknown at this time how Honeywell, who the Pirates signed in the spring, fits in. This is the right-handed journeyman’s fifth organization since he was a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014. In two major league seasons with three teams, he’s 2-4 with a 5.08 ERA and 1.482 WHIP. Those seasons encompassed 43 games, all but two of which were in relief. Honeywell has been used strictly in relief for Triple-A Indianapolis as well, where he’s sported a 4.85 ERA and 1.359 WHIP. It’s unlikely the Pirates will use him to replace Falter in the rotation, and thus more roster moves may be on the horizon.
It’s a tough break for Bruihl, who the Pirates signed on June 6, only to bounce him back and forth from Pittsburgh to Indy like a pinball. The left-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings in seven games for the Bucs, yielding a 9.53 ERA. He began his time with Pittsburgh with four scoreless outings before things unraveled for him.
Davis Staying Down
As for Davis, keeping him in the minors for more work is the right move. He had an uphill climb to stay with the big club anyway. The Pirates won’t eat Yasmani Grandal’s salary. Joey Bart is out of options and playing well. Davis didn’t help his cause with his disappointing season, either. He’s hit .153/.267/.235, 1 HR, 5 RBI, and a 46 OPS+. He doesn’t seem to have a path to Pittsburgh this season, barring a trade or an injury to a catcher.
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