Two injured Pirates returned to the home clubhouse at PNC Park Saturday morning, albeit at two different points in their respective return-to-play programs.
Francisco Cervelli, following two rehab games with Double-A Altoona, went through a full workout and is expected to be activated from the seven-day concussion disabled list prior to first pitch Sunday afternoon. Chad Kuhl, meanwhile, was back to continue his recovery program from a right forearm strain that landed him on the disabled list eight days ago.
While Cervelli was excitable during his talk with reporters following his workout, there is no timetable for Kuhl to even grip a baseball, and the right-handed starter deferred to the club's medical staff when asked about an official diagnosis.
"We’re still going to work with our trainers," Kuhl said. "We’re still working through a lot of stuff with the organization. Getting a second opinion and going through some more, getting the MRI seen and going from there."
Kuhl's comments echoed those made by Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates' director of sports medicine, Wednesday in Los Angeles. Kuhl, who made 31 starts for the club last season, is undergoing what Tomczyk described as "conservative treatment," and is still experiencing soreness in his forearm.
Tomczyk indicated the injury is restricted to Kuhl's arm and not the elbow, however, Kuhl deflected when asked if an elbow injury has been ruled out, saying, "Kind of waiting to see. Obviously, I’m not a doctor. Whatever [Tomczyk] says, obviously I’ll trust what Todd says, what our doctors say and wherever we get the second or third opinion from."
Kuhl remained in Pittsburgh during the Pirates' six-game west coast trip, mostly remaining inactive while being forced to watch his teammates on television. He compared this injury to one he suffered in 2016. Kuhl experienced a similar muscle pull when throwing to first base during a start with Triple-A Indianapolis, although he did not spend time on the disabled list that season.
Kuhl's only stint on the disabled list as a professional occurred in June 2013, weeks after he was drafted in the ninth round out of the University of Delaware. This injury sounds different, though. Kuhl felt what he described as a muscle pull after throwing a sinker to the Mets' Jose Reyes in the fourth inning at Citi Field on June 26.
Clint Hurdle and Ben Potenziano, the Pirates’ assistant athletic trainer, exited the dugout to check on Kuhl; however, he remained in the game to face two batters. Kuhl didn't think anything was wrong at first since his fastball velocity remained consistent, but the discomfort continued while he finished the inning.
He was removed from the game and placed on the disabled list three days later. "During the start, it just felt like I kind of had a muscle grab," Kuhl said. "I just knew the last pitch didn’t feel good. I came out, threw that warmup pitch and the next one was 96. I’m still thinking structurally I’m fine, but I know something is going on. It’s not feeling great. I pitched to one or two more hitters and then it kind of got more inflamed. It just felt tighter as the night went on."
Kuhl, 26, has a 4.55 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 81 strikeouts to 33 walks in 16 starts this season. He was tagged for eight runs in two innings in his start prior to the one at Citi Field, ending what was arguably his most promising stretch of starts in the major leagues. Kuhl had a 2.89 ERA with a .235 opponents' batting average in eight starts from May 6 to June 15.
Cervelli, meanwhile, said he's free of post-concussion symptoms after spending the past nine games on the disabled list. The 32-year-old catcher was struck by a foul ball on the left side of his jaw during a 2-0 loss to the Cubs on June 9. He returned four days later in Phoenix and started five more games before he informed the Pirates' medical staff that he was experiencing symptoms.
"Sometimes I can be a good actor and lie to you guys," Cervelli joked with reporters. "No, before I got hit in Chicago. In St. Louis, I had a hard one. I got here against Dodgers, another one in my jaw. It accumulated. I came back in Arizona and sometimes you don’t know what’s going to happen when you get hit like that. A couple days later, I never feel better and the day that I say I can’t do it, it was like a hungover or drunk. I’ve never been drunk, so I don’t know the feeling. I had that feeling and I couldn’t perform the way I was supposed to. It was not me. I was not myself. It was dangerous. Probably for first time I said I can’t do it and that I need some time."
Cervelli's mother, Damelis Navarro, has stayed with him in Pittsburgh while he underwent treatment, which included vestibular therapy and workouts at PNC Park. He began a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Thursday, going 1 for 5 with three walks and three strikeouts in two games as the designated hitter.
Hurdle indicated Friday the Pirates would prefer Cervelli get more at-bats before being activated, but their starting catcher is expected to return for the series finale against the Phillies. Cervelli's been catching bullpens and doing other rigorous workouts behind the plate.
"It’s difficult for me all the time to make decisions about injuries," Cervelli said. "In this case, I tried to play like superman but sometimes it doesn’t happen. … I feel embarrassed every time I go down like that. But the good thing is you always have the opportunity to come back."