How All-Star Reliever Feels About Rejoining Pirates After Demotion

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever David Bednar found himself optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis after a rough start to the season.

He made sure he didn’t stay there long, though.

After going 0-2 with four hits and three earned runs allowed to go along with a save through his first three appearances this season, Bednar was sent down to the minors on April 1. That seemed to light a spark in Bednar, who turned in five scoreless appearances for Indianapolis with just one hit allowed and seven strikeouts.

The two-time All-Star rejoined the Pirates on Saturday after Tim Mayza hit the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder lat muscle strain.

“Playing in the big leagues is something I never once even remotely took for granted, but it’s an absolute privilege to be here,” Bednar told reporters, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman. “Just appreciate every second here and appreciate being with the guys. It’s just awesome to be back.”

Fellow Pirates reliever Ryan Borucki sure is glad to have Bednar back.

“He’s the big man for a reason — his aura, everything about him,” Borucki told reporters, per Gorman. “He is Pittsburgh Pirates baseball. He’s the leader of our bullpen. We missed him. It’s going to be good to have his personality here on a daily basis, just his smile. Even when he’s doing bad, he’s always the same guy. It’s good to have him back. He’s definitely hungry. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

Bednar, who pitched an inning of scoreless relief Saturday as he worked around two hits by registering two strikeouts, has been Pittsburgh’s ninth-inning option the last two seasons with the 30-year-old tallying 62 saves over that span. But the Pirates may not go back to him in that role — at least not yet.

“Short-term, we’re going to take it day by day,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters, per Gorman. “He basically became that guy by just grinding and pitching and doing those things, and that’s all we’re really asking him to do.”