NEW YORK — Sean Rodriguez declined to speak to reporters after he was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a right quadriceps strain. Rodriguez, the Pirates infielder/outfielder with nine strikeouts in his past 15 at-bats, was replaced on the 25-man roster by Tanner Anderson, a right-handed pitcher recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
The move, made retroactive to June 25, leaves the Pirates without a backup middle infielder Wednesday night against the Mets at Citi Field. Clint Hurdle told reporters Josh Harrison will serve as the emergency backup shortstop, while David Freese can play second base.
However, they could be waiting to make another roster move. Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates' director of sports medicine, said the team's medical staff is still evaluating right-handed pitcher Chad Kuhl, who left his start Tuesday night after four innings with a right forearm injury. Kuhl declined to speak to reporters Wednesday afternoon and was not in the clubhouse following the 6-4 loss the previous night.
"He’s still going through the assessment phase," Tomczyk said in a conference call. "It is in the forearm region. We don’t have an update on his status at this moment."
Rodriguez, re-acquired by the Pirates last August, is batting .145/.270/.274 with 46 strikeouts in 117 at-bats this season. He has one hit in 30 plate appearances this month, striking out 12 times in that span. Rodriguez has also played only four games since June 12, starting the final three games of a series against the Diamondbacks last weekend at PNC Park.
Tomczyk classified Rodriguez' injury as "chronic," adding that Rodriguez informed the team's medical staff of the injury following Sunday's game in Pittsburgh. He did not play in the first two games of this series against the Mets. Clint Hurdle indicated the injury has bothered Rodriguez throughout the season.
"Earlier this year, I don’t think Sean wanted to use anything as an excuse," Hurdle said. "Wasn't going to go that route. Just trying to play and figure things out. When you get to the point you don’t feel you can go out and compete, which he’s always felt the ability to do up until this point, then it’s a good time to share information."
Despite Rodriguez's struggles, his absence will have significant implications on the construction of the Pirates' roster. The 33-year-old was the primary backup at second base and shortstop, while also having the ability to play three outfield positions. Triple-A Indianapolis is finishing a series in Toledo Wednesday night, and the timing of Rodriguez informing the team may have prevented the Pirates from recalling an additional infielder.
Also, Hurdle was in need of an additional arm in the bullpen. Steven Brault is unavailable for the series finale since he's pitched in back-to-back games. Kyle Crick and Richard Rodriguez may also be unavailable, plus there is rain in the forecast.
Other relief options either pitched Tuesday night or have struggled as of late. Anderson, a 20th-round draft pick in 2015, has a 2.34 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 24 relief appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis this season. The 25-year-old has 24 strikeouts with only six walks and a 3.06 ground ball to fly ball ratio. On the other hand, he's allowed 37 hits in 34 2/3 innings.
"Sometimes it’s based on who’s available and who hasn’t thrown," Hurdle said. "Sometimes it’s based on performance. We had a few guys that are trending up. Some that were available are trending down. … His performance has been very, very good as well. ... He’s done a really fantastic job."
But he likely won't be needed beyond Wednesday. The Pirates are carrying three starters in their now eight-man bullpen — Brault, Tyler Glasnow and Clay Holmes — and have an off-day Thursday, followed by a six-game west coast trip, beginning with a three-game series at San Diego this weekend.
The Pirates are now short on infield options at Triple-A, too. Jung Ho Kang was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a left wrist sprain and is expected to be evaluated by the team's medical staff. Neal Huntington said previously he doesn't wish to recall Kevin Newman or Kevin Kramer to serve in a bench role.
Max Moroff has played the outfield as of late, although he's starting at shortstop for the Indians Wednesday night. The Pirates would need to place someone on the disabled list to recall Adam Frazier, who was sent back to Indianapolis Saturday when Corey Dickerson was reinstated from the family medical emergency list.
Frazier isn't able to play shortstop, though. Adding him to the roster would require Harrison to serve as the backup at shortstop or to start there when Jordy Mercer needs a game off, despite not having played the position since 2014. Freese, meanwhile, has appeared in only two games at second base in his career, both of which came in 2016 with the Pirates.
An injury to the "forearm region" could mean trouble for Kuhl. Although his velocity was consistent in his four innings Tuesday night, Kuhl moved his arm awkwardly after throwing a 1-0 sinker low and away to Jose Reyes in the bottom of the fourth inning. He remained in the game to face two more hitters before reporting tightness in his forearm, according to Hurdle. Nick Kingham would be a logical replacement if Kuhl does require a disabled list stint.
"They're still working through it," Hurdle said of Kuhl's injury. "They’re still acquiring information, putting him through a battery of tests and strengthening things."
