1 week Ago
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates won't have one of their top performers in the bullpen back when they originally anticipated. The Pirates placed right-handed relief pitcher Justin Lawrenc on the 15-day Injured List, retroactive to April 23, with right elbow inflammation. Pirates assistant general manager Bryan Stroh said that Lawrence will look for a second opinion on his right elbow and that he will miss more than 15 days, according to Greg Macafee of DK Pittsburgh Sports.
Lawrence has excelled with the Pirates out of the bullpen so far in 2025, with an 0.79 ERA in 11 appearances and 11.1 innings pitched, allowing just five hits and six walks, while posting 15 strikeouts and an opposing batting average of .
139. He last pitched vs. the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning of the 9-3 win on April 22, allowing two hits, but no runs and striking out a batter.
The Pirates claimed Lawrence off of Waivers on March 3, after the Colorado Rockies designated him for assignment on March 1. He pitched in six games in spring training, with an 0-2 record and a 7.50 ERA over 6.
0 innings of work. Lawrence was born in Panama, but moved to the United States when he was two years old. He attended First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Fla.
and then played baseball in college for Florida Gulf Coast. The Rockies took him in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, where he spent the next four full seasons in the minors. He didn't play at all in 2020, after testing positive for the performance enhancing substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, or DHCMT, receiving an 80-game suspension.
The Rockies called him up on April 29, 2021 and spent the next four seasons with the franchise at the MLB level. His best season came in 2023, as he posted a 4-7 record over a career-high 69 appearances, with a 3.72 ERA in 75.
0 innings pitched, 78 strikeouts to 36 walks and holding opposing hitters to a batting average of .235. Lawrence struggled last season with the Rockies, with a 4-4 record, a 6.
49 ERA over 59.2 innings pitched, 45 strikeouts to 33 walks, a WHIP of 1.78 and an opposing batting average of .
313. He is one of five pitchers for the Pirates on the 40-man roster that are on the Injured List. This includes starters in right-handed pitcher Jared Jones and Jovan Oviedo, who are on the 60-day Injured List, plus bullpen arms in right-handed pitcher Dauri Moreta and Tim Mayza, who are both on 60-day Injured List.
The Pirates currently have a bullpen featuring right-handed pitchers in Colin Holderman , Chase Shugart, Kyle Nicolas , David Bednar and Dennis Santana, plus left-handed pitchers in Ryan Borucki, Joey Wentz and Caleb Ferguson. Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates Pirates Blown Out by Dodgers in Series Finale Pirates' Andrew McCutchen Hits Home Run off Former Teammate Pirates Maintain Starting Lineup vs. Dodgers Injured Pirates First Baseman Starts Rehab Assignment Pirates Outfielder Oneil Cruz Joins Exclusive Club as Red-Hot Start Continues.
