Pirates Lose Veteran Starting Pitcher For Season Due To Injury

Seven starts. That’s all the Pittsburgh Pirates got out of starting pitcher Marco Gonzales this season.

The Pirates announced Tuesday that they placed the veteran left-hander on the 60-day injured list with a forearm strain, effectively ending his season. Pittsburgh called up right-handed pitcher Ryder Ryan to take Gonzales place on the active roster.

The forearm injury isn’t anything new for Gonzales. He was on the injured list for three months with the same injury earlier in the season before returning just prior to the All-Star break.

Gonzales last pitched on Aug. 7 when he received a no decision after tossing just 4 2/3 innings against the San Diego Padres, in which he allowed five runs on eight hits to go along with two walks and three strikeouts. That capped a rough three-game stretch for 32-year-old as he posted an 8.49 ERA over that time.

Gonzales finished the campaign with a 1-1 record to go along with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.604 WHIP. The Pirates acquired Gonzales prior to the start of the season in a trade with the Atlanta Braves, who had obtained Gonzales from the Seattle Mariners just a couple of days before shipping him off to Pittsburgh.

The Pirates will have a decision to make on the 32-year-old Gonzales in a couple of months. Gonzales has a $15 million club option for 2025, but if Pittsburgh doesn’t pick that up, the southpaw will hit free agency.

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