The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that veteran left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales has been reinstated from the injured list. Gonzales went on the IL on April 14 with a recurrence of the left forearm strain that sidelined him for much of 2023. Although not formally announced as of this writing, he’s expected to start Friday night’s game against the White Sox in Chicago.
LHP Marco Gonzales will be the Pirates starting pitcher today.
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) July 12, 2024
Pirates Pitcher Gonzales Reinstated from IL
The Atlanta Braves acquired Gonzales, along with Jarred Kelenic and Evan White, from the Seattle Mariners on December 3. The Braves flipped him to the Pirates two days later for a player to be named later. The trade has yet to be completed. With Seattle and Atlanta paying most of Gonzales’ salary and PNC Park favoring left-handed pitchers, it was an easy deal for the Pirates to make. (Three days later, the Braves traded White as well. They went through a lot of gyrations to acquire Kelenic, who’s been worth the trouble.)
Before he went on the IL, Gonzales pitched well despite having no decisions. In three starts covering 17 innings, the soft tosser has pitched to a 2.65 ERA and 1.176 WHIP. He threw two games covering 7 1/3 innings during his rehab assignment in Triple-A Indianapolis. He gave up five earned runs but, more importantly, emerged from those outings healthy. Due to the length of time spent on the IL, it was thought Gonzales might need a longer rehab stint. Nevertheless, he’s ready to give the Pirates their money’s worth (or, more accurately, the Braves’ and Mariners’ money’s worth).
Gonzales being reinstated couldn’t come at a better time for the Pirates. Starters Jared Jones and Bailey Falter are both on the IL. Luis Ortiz has pitched admirably since being inserted into the rotation, while Quinn Priester recently had a strong outing in Milwaukee. Even so, the veteran Gonzales will be a sight for sore eyes as far as the Pirates are concerned.
As reported here earlier, pitcher Brent Honeywell Jr. was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Gonzales. He had just been added to the active roster on Tuesday.
