Brubaker gave up three earned runs on three hits and one walk in five innings Wednesday, striking out six Atlanta batters, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
The Pirates will almost surely rely on Brubaker as part of their rotation with Steven Brault (arm) sidelined for at least two months. In 2020, the righty seemed destined for bullpen work with only two effective pitches -- a fastball and a slider -- but he's throwing a curveball and changeup more than he has in the past, and he whiffed batters with three different pitches Wednesday. Brubaker struck out 48 batters in 47.1 innings last season and offers the potential to serve as a streaming option in fantasy this year.