The Pirates transferred Velasquez (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Velasquez underwent season-ending surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow earlier this month, so his move to the 60-day IL doesn't come as much of a surprise. The 31-year-old righty will end the season with a 3.86 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 37 strikeouts through 37.1 innings. He'll become a free agent this offseason and figures to return midway through 2024.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Undergoes elbow surgery
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Velasquez underwent season-ending surgery Friday on his right elbow, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Velasquez was originally diagnosed with elbow inflammation when he lasted only two innings in his return from the injured list May 28, but further testing revealed the need for a surgical repair of his ulnar collateral ligament. He didn't undergo Tommy John surgery, but he could still miss a full calendar year while rehabbing. The 31-year-old right-hander finishes the 2023 campaign with a 3.86 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 37:14 K:BB in eight starts (37.1 innings). He is scheduled to become a free agent this winter.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Set for MRI
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Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Velasquez is set to undergo an MRI and receive further medical opinions after the right-hander exited his start in Saturday's loss to the Mariners with elbow discomfort, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Velasquez was shelved for about three and a half weeks with elbow inflammation before he returned from the 15-day injured list Saturday, only to suffer a setback with his throwing arm two innings into his start and returning to the IL a day later. The 30-year-old implied that he'll likely be in store for a lengthier absence than the previous one in his second stint on the IL, though he's optimistic that he'll pitch again in 2023. Expect a clearer timeline as well as a more precise diagnosis of his injury to become available once the results of the MRI are gathered.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Shelved with elbow discomfort
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The Pirates placed Velasquez on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right elbow discomfort, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
After returning Saturday from a stint on the 15-day IL due to elbow inflammation, Velasquez lasted just two innings into his start against the Mariners before succumbing to a related injury. The Pirates haven't provided a firm diagnosis or timeline for Velasquez's return, but in light of his latest elbow-related setback, the right-hander acknowledged that he'll likely be in store for a longer period of time off than he had during his first stint on the IL, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Velasquez added that he's confident he'll be able to pitch again this season, but his absence for at least the next few weeks should reopen the door for the struggling Roansy Contreras to re-enter the rotation.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Removed with elbow discomfort
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Velasquez was removed from Saturday's start against Seattle with right elbow discomfort. He allowed four runs on seven hits over two innings with three strikeouts and one walk before exiting, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Velasquez was making his first start since early May, as he was sidelined with inflammation in the same elbow. The right-hander should be considered day-to-day at this stage, but his next start is very much in doubt.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Starting Saturday
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Velasquez (elbow) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday's game in Seattle.
Velasquez has been out since early May with elbow inflammation but will make it back to the rotation having missed less than a month. Prior to the injury, he recorded a 3.06 ERA in seven starts, though his ERA estimators (4.50 xFIP, 4.43 SIERA) suggest he deserved something much closer to his career 4.84 ERA.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Confirmed for weekend return
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Pirates manager Derek Shelton confirmed Wednesday that Velasquez (elbow) will return to the rotation this weekend in Seattle, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
The safest bet is that Velasquez will slide into Luis Ortiz's spot Sunday, as Mitch Keller and Roansy Contreras are secure in their roles and currently line up to handle the first two games of the three-game series versus the Mariners. Out since May 5 due to right elbow inflammation, Velasquez tallied four strikeouts over 4.2 scoreless innings in his lone rehab start this past Saturday at Triple-A Indianapolis. He threw 63 pitches in that outing and should be able to handle 80-plus pitches in his return start with Pittsburgh.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Should rejoin rotation this weekend
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Velasquez (elbow) returned to Pittsburgh on Wednesday and expects to be activated from the 15-day injured list to make a start at some point during the Pirates' upcoming series in Seattle this weekend, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Velasquez acknowledged that it's not his call when the Pirates choose to activate him, though general manager Ben Cherington told Justice delos Santos of MLB.com that "all signs point to" the right-hander being reinstated from the IL for his next outing. Though Velasquez was initially expected to make two minor-league rehab starts prior to being activated, he looks like he'll be ready to go after striking out four over 4.2 scoreless innings with Triple-A Indianapolis this past Saturday. Velasquez will most likely take back a spot in the Pittsburgh rotation from Luis Ortiz.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Could require another rehab start
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General manager Ben Cherington said Sunday the Pirates have yet to decide if Velasquez (elbow) will require a second minor-league rehab start, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander made his first rehab outing with Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday and threw 63 pitches across 4.2 scoreless innings. Velasquez has been on the shelf with elbow inflammation since May 5, and Pittsburgh could want to see another start in the minors in order to further build up his workload before re-inserting him into the big-league rotation.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Throwing side session Wednesday
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Director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Velasquez (elbow) will throw a side session Wednesday and make a rehab start later this week, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The rehab start is expected to take place with Triple-A Indianapolis. Velasquez threw a live batting practice session without issue Monday, and the 30-year-old has made enough progress from the inflammation in his right elbow to take the final step before rejoining the Pittsburgh pitching staff. Since Velasquez has thus far missed only two weeks due to the injury, he could need just one rehab start before making his return from the 15-day injured list.
Velasquez (elbow) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis later this week, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Velasquez checked the final box in his throwing progression when he made it through a live batting practice session Monday without issue. The 30-year-old right-hander has made a swift recovery from the bout of elbow inflammation that sent him to the injured list May 5 and could return to the Pirates' rotation by the end of the month, possibly after only one outing on the farm.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Will throw live BP next week
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told reporters Wednesday that Velasquez (elbow) will throw live batting practice next week, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tomczyk is confident that Velasquez will only miss the minimum 15 days after being placed on the injured list May 5 with inflammation in his right elbow. The right-hander will likely need to throw a few more bullpens and possibly make a rehab start, but all signs point to him being back right around May 20 to make more starts for the Pirates.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Lands on injured list
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Velasquez was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with right elbow inflammation.
After being pulled from his start Thursday due to injury, Velasquez initially expressed optimism about his injury, calling it "nothing too severe." Instead, he will be out for at least two weeks, as the injury is apparently worse than expected. He will be replaced on the roster by Chase De Jong (back), who was activated from a rehab assignment Friday.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Optimistic about elbow issue
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Velasquez said he's optimistic about the right elbow discomfort that led to his early exit Thursday against the Rays, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Velasquez called it "just a little freak accident" and "nothing too severe," though Pirates manager Derek Shelton noted that further testing is scheduled for Friday. The 30-year-old right-hander had a 19-inning scoreless streak in the works before he gave up a solo home run to Taylor Walls in the bottom of the second inning Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field. It was the only run he allowed before his departure prior to the bottom of the fourth.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Being evaluated for elbow issue
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Velasquez is being evaluated for right elbow discomfort after making an early exit from his start Thursday against the Rays.
Velasquez appeared to be grabbing at his elbow in the bottom of the third inning and also showed a dip in fastball velocity over the course of that frame. He was replaced before the bottom of the fourth and could now be looking at an absence from the Pirates' rotation. The 30-year-old right-hander entered Thursday's outing on an 18-inning scoreless streak and a 3.06 ERA for the season.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Early exit from start
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Velasquez was removed from his start Thursday against the Rays due to an apparent injury, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Velasquez began losing velocity on his fastball toward the end of the third inning and was replaced by Jose Hernandez before the bottom of the fourth. Replays showed him massaging his right elbow at one point, per Justice delos Santos of MLB.com. Velasquez allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk across his three frames.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Possible waiver wire pickups
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Buying into Vince Velasquez's role in the Pirates' hot start might be a bridge too far for some given that he hasn't been a pitcher of Fantasy consequence since his rookie 2016 season. But there he was turning in a fourth straight quality start Saturday with six shutout innings at the Nationals. He has a 1.08 ERA during that four-start span, averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings. It's true the 30-year-old has a long history of mediocrity, but he's doing something different this year, throwing his best swing-and-miss pitch, the slider, about twice as often as last year (43 vs. 23 percent). And last year was the most he had used it previously. I remain skeptical and would rather invest in someone like Josiah Gray, but the arsenal change suggests there may be something here.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Nabs win with six scoreless frames
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Velasquez (4-2) earned the win over the Nationals in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, allowing five hits and striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh staked Velasquez to an early lead, and the veteran hurler took advantage to cruise to a relatively stress-free victory. The right-hander didn't allow any extra-base hits, and he finished his outing without issuing a walk for the first time this season. After two rough appearances to begin the campaign, Velasquez has bounced back with four consecutive quality starts, each of which has earned him a victory. Over that stretch, he's allowed just three earned runs while registering a 28:7 K:BB over 25 frames.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Another strong start
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Velasquez (3-2) earned the win Sunday, allowing two hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings against the Reds. He struck out 10.
Velasquez was dominant Sunday as he allowed just four baserunners over six seven scoreless innings while recording a season-high 10 strikeouts. Velasquez has logged three consecutive quality starts while allowing just three runs in his last 19 innings -- he's 3-0 with 23 strikeouts in that span. Velasquez now has a 3.76 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 27:12 K:BB through six starts.
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Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Rebounds after shaky start
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Velasquez (2-2) allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven across six innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Rockies.
Velasquez allowed three earned runs in the first inning and looked to be in for a disastrous outing. However, he turned things around and allowed only one hit across his final five frames to earn a win in his second consecutive outing. After allowing eight earned runs across his first 7.1 innings this season, Velasquez has surrendered only three earned runs in his last 12 frames. The end result is still a subpar 5.12 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with a 17:10 K:BB.
