The Pirates optioned Dotel to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Dotel threw 44 pitches in long relief Monday against the Cardinals, so the Pirates are bringing in a fresh arm in Hunter Barco to replace Dotel in the bullpen. Dotel has thrown 6.2 innings for Pittsburgh this season, turning in a 1.35 ERA and 4:3 K:BB. He'll likely be back with the big club at some point.
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Pirates' Wilber Dotel: Impressive in long relief
Rotowire
Dotel took a no-decision Monday against the Cardinals, throwing four clean innings of relief. He struck out three.
The absence of Braxton Garrett (personal) forced the Pirates into a bullpen game Monday, and Dotel filled in admirably as a bulk reliever. The right-hander flooded the zone for 32 strikes among his 44 pitches, picking up his first hold of the year in the process. Through 6.1 frames in 2026, Dotel sports a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 4:3 K:BB.
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Pirates' Wilber Dotel: Handling bulk role Monday
Rotowire
Pirates manager Don Kelly said that Dotel will be utilized as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Mason Montgomery in Monday's home game against the Cardinals, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Monday had been Braxton Ashcraft's (personal) turn in the rotation, but he won't be eligible to rejoin the Pirates until Tuesday after recently getting placed on the bereavement/medical emergency list. The Pirates will thus turn to Dotel to cover extended innings in Monday's series opener. Dotel has appeared in two contests since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on April 19, giving up one run on two hits and three walks while striking out one batter over 2.2 innings. He had previously gotten stretched out to 5.2 innings over his three starts at Triple-A Indianapolis this season prior to being promoted earlier this month.
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Pirates' Cam Sanders: Quick return to minors
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Sanders to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The right-hander was called up from Triple-A on Friday and made his season debut Saturday against the Rays, but he'll head back to the minors after surrendering to four runs over two-thirds of an inning. Wilber Dotel will take Sanders' place in Pittsburgh's bullpen.
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Pirates' Wilber Dotel: Gets first call to big leagues
Rotowire
The Pirates recalled Dotel from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The 23-year-old has surrendered 10 earned runs with a 13:7 K:BB over 14.1 innings to begin the season with Indianapolis, but he'll get his first opportunity in the major leagues anyway. Dotel was working out of the rotation at Triple-A but will shift to the bullpen to provide some depth for the Pirates after Saturday's 13-inning loss to the Rays.
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Pirates' Wilber Dotel: Reporting to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Dotel to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.
Dotel was one of eight players dismissed from big-league camp in the Pirates' latest round of roster cuts. The Pirates added the 23-year-old right-hander to the 40-man roster in the offseason after he turned in a 4.15 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 131:43 K:BB over 125.2 innings in 27 starts for Double-A Altoona in 2025.
