An effort to limit innings will keep Pirates ace Gerrit Cole from making his scheduled start Thursday, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A.J. Burnett, who is returning from a stint on the disabled list, will pitch instead.
Cole has thrown a career-high 180 2/3 innings. But they have, for the most part, been wonderful innings. He is 16-8 with a 2.54 ERA and 175 strikeouts.
The right-hander will likely start next Tuesday in a doubleheader against the Cubs.