MILWAUKEE — Justin Meccage began serving as the Pirates' interim pitching coach Sunday at Miller Park because Ray Searage will undergo cervical neck surgery this week, the team announced shortly before first pitch.
Meccage, 38, was promoted to assistant pitching coach this season after serving as the organization's minor league pitching coordinator in 2017. Prior to that, he spent two seasons as the pitching coach at Double-A Altoona, where he worked with most of the young pitchers currently on the Pirates' roster.
No timetable was provided for Searage's return, though Neal Huntington released a statement wishing the longtime pitching coach well.
"We look forward for Ray resuming his pitching coach duties in the near future," Huntington said. "We wish him the best during the procedure and subsequent recovery."
Meccage was heralded by the front office during his time in the minors and was described by Clint Hurdle as "cutting edge" at the time of his promotion. His use of analytics helped many of the organization's young arms in Double-A, including Tyler Glasnow. Upon joining the major league staff, Meccage's duties included video analysis.
He watches games from a room adjacent to the clubhouse at PNC Park, finding any adjustments pitchers need to make during the game and possible weaknesses that can be exploited.