Pirates Reinstate OF Andrew McCutchen
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates made several roster moves on Friday afternoon ahead of a three-game series on the road against the Cleveland Guardians.
The Pirates announced that they activated outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen off of the 10-day injured list. As their corresponding move, the team placed right-handed pitcher Ben Heller on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
McCutchen hit the IL on Aug. 17 with knee inflammation after being pulled from Pittsburgh's contest against the Seattle Mariners a day prior.
He dealt with a hamstring injury that forced him to exit a game against the Chicago White Sox on July 13 and also left against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 3 with quad tightness, though neither situation led to an IL stint.
McCutchen finished the 2023 campaign on the 60-day IL after partially tearing his Achilles tendon, though he recovered in time to play during spring training and was a member of the Pirates' Opening Day roster this season.
In 112 games last year, he hit .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs for Pittsburgh. He returned on a one-year, $5 million deal ahead of the 2024 campaign and has slashed .235/.336/.405 with 16 homers and 40 RBIs across 101 games thus far.
In eight appearances this season, Heller has posted an 11.25 ERA across 12 innings for the Pirates. He began August by throwing four consecutive scoreless outings, though he allowed two earned runs in each of his last two trips to the mound before landing on the IL.
Pittsburgh signed Heller to a minor league contract in December 2023 after he rejected an assignment from the Braves and elected free agency.
A 22nd-round pick of Cleveland out of Olivet Nazarene University in the 2013 MLB Draft, Heller has pitched to a 4.65 ERA in 58 career games at the big-league level.
The Pirates also announced that right-handed pitcher Daulton Jefferies will commence a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis tonight.
