Injuries leave Pirates thin on starting pitching depth for playoff push

The Pittsburgh Pirates face a critical shortage of starting pitching as they remain in contention for a playoff spot. Mitch Keller is out for the season with a right teres major muscle injury, and Braxton Ashcraft was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with right arm discomfort. With only three full-time starters available, the team has turned to bullpen games to cover innings, recently relying on rookies Wilber Dotel, Khristian Curtis, and Antwone Kelly. This strategy resulted in a 12-2 loss against the Cubs at Wrigley Field after the trio surrendered 12 runs on 16 hits. Triple-A options currently lack sufficient major league experience or consistent performance to bolster the rotation. The front office faces scrutiny for not adding external starting depth prior to the trade deadline when the injury status of key rotation members was already known.

• 11:00 AMYahoo Sports — Pirates Starting Pitching Depth is Alarmingly Thin