DENVER -- A month after he was designated for assignment and ultimately outrighted to Class AAA Indianapolis, Josh Fleming is back in a Pirates uniform. Fleming had his contract selected Friday and has joined the team for this weekend's series against the Rockies at Coors Field.
"I mean, it feels good, obviously," said Fleming, who last pitched in a major-league game in Milwaukee on May 13. "Got on the bus and saw everybody and just smiled. Very happy to be here."
Fleming has appeared in 17 games with one start for the Pirates this season, compiling a 5.68 ERA and 1.68 WHIP. He registered 13 strikeouts and nine walks in 19 innings. While in the minors, he threw 12 2/3 innings in seven appearances for the Indians, allowing eight runs on 12 hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts.
"When you're in Triple-A, it's a little bit easier to kind of relax and not have so much pressure on you," Fleming said. "So, I really just wanted to work on some mechanical things, work on throwing more strikes. Tweaked a little bit with my mechanics, and was throwing a lot more strikes. That's all that I was trying to do. Obviously, when I was up here, when I was struggling, it's because I wasn't throwing strikes. The important thing was working on throwing strikes. I thought I did a pretty good job down there."
The biggest change Fleming made involved his wind up. He said he worked on being lower with a more athletic stance rather than being so tall.
"Just trying to get behind my legs a little bit more, ride the mound. And so when I was working on that, and when I was doing it in games, stuff was a little bit sharper," he said. "Again, I was throwing more strikes. So it was a positive result."
Because of the adjustments he made, Fleming also feels as if he's gained more confidence in throwing everything in his arsenal, including his sweeper and cutter.
"I was kind of shying away from throwing the sweeper a little bit, throwing the cutter. Throwing the cutter a little less, throwing the sweeper more, but the cutter has still been good," Fleming said. "Sweeper has been really, really good since I've made that adjustment. So I just have a lot of confidence in everything right now."
Fleming was effective through the first month of the season, as he appeared in 13 games and allowed just four earned runs in 16 innings. But in four appearances in May, he gave up eight earned runs in three innings, including a five-earned-run showing against the Brewers in his final big-league outing.
This time around, Fleming's addition gives the Pirates three left-handed pitchers out of the bullpen, including Aroldis Chapman and Justin Bruihl. His return to the big leagues also comes on a day where the Pirates will have a bullpen game in their series opener against the Rockies. Carmen Mlodzinski will get the start, while Derek Shelton confirmed both Luis Ortiz and Fleming -- who last pitched Sunday in Indianapolis -- will be available to provide further length.
“He did a good job when he was here and he’s done a good job when he’s pitched in the big leagues previously," Shelton said. "He’s gone down and continued to throw strikes, which is what he does and gets the ball on the ground. Just looking for more of that now that he’s back here.”
Hunter Stratton was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right triceps strain Friday, opening a spot for Fleming on the 26-man active roster. To make room on the 40-man roster, Niko Goodrum was designated for assignment.
