The Pittsburgh Pirates are finally welcoming Jared Jones back to the Major Leagues. The former top prospect and standout 2024 rookie missed all of 2025 due to undergoing internal brace surgery. He has rehabbed for all of 2026 thus far, and is finally making his return to a Major League mound. Jones wants to return to the rotation. However, that decision means Carmen Mlodzinski gets bumped to the bullpen. Although it may not be a popular decision (especially from Mlodzinski himself), it is ultimately the right move.
Carmen Mlodzinski on moving to the bullpen with Jared Jones returning:
#Pirates Carmen Mlodzinski has taken going to the bullpen hard pic.twitter.com/OhmG5ACRxX
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) May 29, 2026
Carmen Mlodzinski May Not Love the Bullpen, but It Is the Right Move
Success as a starter
On the surface, moving Mlodzinski from the rotation to the bullpen seems like a puzzling choice. He certainly did not struggle as a starter this year. In 55 innings, the former first-round competitive balance pick pitched to a 3.76 ERA, 3.33 FIP, and 1.42 WHIP. Although he had an unimpressive 19.3% K rate and 8.4% BB rate, he also allowed just three home runs with a solid 7.1% barrel percentage.
However, a look under the hood raised some red flags. Mlodzinski posted a 4.87 SIERA and 4.78 xFIP in May. Although he isn’t allowing a ton of quality contact, opponents are having no problems making hard contact with a 91.8 MPH exit velocity on the season. He also isn’t missing many bats, with an 18th percentile whiff rate.
Of course, the biggest issue Mlodzinski has had to confront is facing the order a third time. Mlodzinski holds opponents to just a .668 OPS and .303 wOBA the first two times he faces them this season. However, batters rip Mlodzinski apart when they face him a third time with a .979 OPS and .422 wOBA. That is like going from Jared Triolo (career .660 OPS and .295 wOBA) to Mickey Mantle (.977 OPS, .428 wOBA).
Bubba Chandler> Carmen Mlodzinski?
Many believe Mlodzinski deserved more starts over Bubba Chandler, and it’s clear to see why. Chandler has not lived up to his potential yet, with a 4.85 ERA, a 22% strikeout rate, and 9.5% barrel rate throughout 52 innings this year. Walks have given the hard-throwing righty plenty of problems, with a 15.3% BB rate. It is the highest walk rate of any pitcher who has thrown at least 50 innings this year.
The Real Reason Why Mlodzinski Is Moving to the Pen
Mlodzinski is simply a very good reliever, and that’s what the Pirates need right now. We saw what he could do in a multi-inning relief role last year. He pitched 59.1 innings to the tune of a 2.12 ERA, 25.5% strikeout rate, and 6.3% walk rate after they moved him out of the rotation. On top of that, he allowed just three home runs while holding opponents to a lowly 4.4% barrel rate. He was also very effective in 2023 and 2024 when he was primarily used out of the bullpen. His starts in 2023, 2024, and after moving back to a multi-inning role in 2025 were mostly opens and piggyback starts.
While Chandler’s starts haven’t been good for the most part, most haven’t been awful either. He has given up more than three earned runs just three times so far. He is keeping them in games. The Pirates’ relievers have not. Right-handed Pirates relievers rank in the bottom ten in ERA (4.63), FIP (4.44), and WHIP (1.47) in May, and that doesn’t even include their recent meltdown vs the Chicago Cubs in the finale of the four-game series.
Even boiling it down to the simplest point, it makes more sense to move Mlodzinski to the bullpen over Chandler, given where the bullpen currently stands. Even at Chandler’s worst, he may cost the Pirates one game every four or five games. Meanwhile, the Pirates’ bullpen has cost them multiple games at various points throughout the first two months of the season. Mlodzinski can absolve many of the problems the Pirates’ pen currently has.
Mlodzinski’s Days as a Starter Are Far From Over
Just because he got moved to the pen does not mean we will not see him start any more games this year. There are still ways the Pirates can get him starts semi-frequently. Jones will almost certainly be on a workload limit given how much time he has missed and the elbow surgery he underwent. Chandler’s struggles mean the Pirates have an excuse to skip his spot in the rotation from time to time until he figures it out. Mlodzinski pitched well enough to be the first guy they call upon for spot starts.
Mlodzinski may not love the move, but it is necessary. The Pirates’ bullpen is struggling. Even though Chandler may not have started 2026 on the right foot, Mlodzinski is likely far more valuable and effective in the bullpen than Chandler likely would be working out of the pen. Plus, sending Chandler down means the Pirates’ rotation depth still takes a hit.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
