The Pirates optioned Barco to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Barco threw 84 pitches while allowing five runs over 4.2 innings in an extended relief outing in Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals. The left-hander will likely rejoin the rotation at Indianapolis.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Recalled from Triple-A
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The Pirates recalled Barco from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
In a corresponding move, the Pirates optioned Wilber Dotel. Barco made Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster this season and appeared in four games out of the bullpen, registering a 6.43 ERA, 2.14 WHIP and 5:7 K:BB across seven innings before he was sent down two weeks ago.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Optioned to Indianapolis
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The Pirates optioned Barco to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Barco cracked the Opening Day roster as a long reliever, but he was used sparingly and didn't pitch well on those occasions, allowing seven runs (five earned) with a 5:7 K:BB over seven innings of work. The southpaw will likely join the rotation at Indianapolis, where he can get stretched back out and wait for another opportunity in the majors.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Makes Opening Day roster
Rotowire
The Pirates informed Barco on Monday that he'll be included on the Opening Day roster, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Barco has been trending up, making his big-league debut at the end of last season and following that up with a strong spring training. The 25-year-old lefty had a 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB in 9.1 innings in Grapefruit League play. Carmen Mlodzinski won the fifth starter spot, but Barco and Jose Urquidy also made the club in long-relief roles. The Pirates could look to have Barco piggyback another starter during the first turn through the five-man rotation.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Mixed results early in spring
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Barco allowed no hits and walked two while striking out three across three scoreless innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
This marked Barco's first start of the spring and second appearance of the exhibition season. He's completed 4.1 innings without allowing an earned run while striking out six, though he's also walked five. Barco is likely on the outside looking in for a rotation spot to begin the regular season due to the signing of Jose Urquidy, but he should have a chance to make an impact at some point in 2026.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Promotion on tap
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The Pirates are expected to call up Barco from Triple-A Indianapolis for the final week of the season, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
One of the top pitching prospects in the Pittsburgh system, Barco will move up to the majors after he compiled a 2.81 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 116:49 K:BB in 99.1 innings between stops at Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona this season. While the Pirates likely envision the 24-year-old lefty serving as a big-league starter in the long run, he made four of his final five appearances with Indianapolis in relief, so he'll most likely work out of the bullpen during his initial stint in the majors. With Pittsburgh cognizant of managing the workloads of young starters Bubba Chandler, Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft as the season winds down, Barco could be an option to pitch multiple innings behind any of those pitchers when their turns in the rotation come up this week.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Back from IL
Rotowire
Barco (shoulder) was activated from the 7-day injured list by Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Barco was diagnosed with a mild muscle strain in his left shoulder last week but missed just 10 days of action. The 24-year-old left-hander has made eight starts at Triple-A this season and has turned in a microscopic 0.89 ERA and 11.9 K/9 across 30.1 innings of work. Barco is viewed as one of the organization's top pitching prospects.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Shut down at Triple-A
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Triple-A Indianapolis placed Barco on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.
Barco sustained the injury at some point during his most recent start for Indianapolis last Thursday, when he was lifted midway through the first inning after allowing two earned runs on one hit and three walks. The 24-year-old lefty had enjoyed a strong start to the season prior to that outing, producing a 0.30 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 39:10 K:BB across 30 innings over his seven starts between Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Moved to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Barco was reassigned to minor-league camp Thursday.
The Pirates' top left-handed pitching prospect, Barco made two appearances in Grapefruit League play this spring, allowing four hits, two walks and four earned runs across 2.2 innings, striking out one. Barco advanced to Double-A last season before his 2024 campaign was cut short in July due to a leg injury. He entered spring training healthy and figures to open the year back in Double-A.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Sidelined with lower-body injury
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Friday that Barco was placed on Double-A Altoona's 7-day injured list July 30 with a "left lower-extremity" injury and will be confined to a walking boot for three weeks, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tomczyk labeled Barco's injury as a "stress response" rather than a stress reaction, but with Double-A Altoona's season coming to an end Sept. 15, the left-hander could end up being shut down for 2024. Barco had missed most of the 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and missed about two weeks of action in July while he was on High-A Greensboro's development list. He returned July 21 with Altoona and made two starts at the Double-A level before being shut down with the lower-extremity injury.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Active at Single-A
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Barco (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list and assigned to Single-A Bradenton on Aug. 3.
He walked two and struck out two while recording just two outs in his first start for the Marauders on Sunday. Barco built up to four innings in his final rehab start in the Florida Complex League, so it's a bit surprising he recorded only two outs in his first Single-A start. He underwent Tommy John surgery prior to getting selected by the Pirates with the 44th overall pick in last year's draft.
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Pirates' Hunter Barco: Rehabbing in FCL
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Barco (elbow) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on July 20 and has turned in a 1.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB across nine innings over his first three appearances.
Barco is technically on Triple-A Indianapolis' 60-day injured list, but once he's activated, he'll likely remain in the FCL or head to Single-A Bradenton. The 44th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, Barco didn't make his professional debut last season while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
