Pirates Send Rookie Pitcher to Minors
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their rookies back down to the minor leagues, after a brint stint in the MLB.
The Pirates optioned right-handed pitcher Thomas Harrington to Triple-A Indianapolis, according to their transactions page.
Harrington earned his call-up to the MLB on April 1, as the Pirates selected his contract, designated catcher Jason Delay for assignment to put him on the 40-day roster and moved right-handed pitcher David Bednar down to Triple-A Indianapolis.
He would make his first MLB start that same day vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.
Harrington struggled in that outing, allowing seven hits, four walks and six earned runs with just two strikeouts over 90 pitches in four innings in the 7-0 loss.
He made his second appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals in his PNC Park debut on April 7, but this time, from the bullpen.
Harrington came in during the sixth inning and had a solid outing, closing out the final four innings in the 8-4 win.
He became the first Pirates pitcher to earn a four-inning save since Jason Christiansen did so in a 5-1 win over the Montreal Expos on July 17, 1998.
Harrington did allow three earned runs and two solo shots, but posted five strikeouts and gave a Pirates bullpen, who pitched 14.1 innings against the New York Yankees the previous series, a break.
He started 12 of 13 games in 2024 for Double-A Altoona in 2024, with a 2-2 record, 2.24 ERA in 68 1/3 innings, 74 strikeouts to 10 walks and an opposing batting average of .227.
Harrington moved up to Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 4 and finished with a 5-1 record in eight starts, a 3.33 ERA in 46 innings, 38 strikeouts to eight walks and an opposing batting average of .212.
Harrington made his first spring start against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 18 at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., a 3-2 win on a walk-off home run for the Pirates.
He allowed a home run to Phillies designated hitter Nick Castellanos in the top of the first inning, but that served as the only hit he allowed in 3 2/3 innings, with just one walk and three strikeouts on the day.
Harrington also started the Grapefruit League finale on March 24 vs. the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla. He allowed four earned runs over three innings in the 5-1 defeat.
He is the No. 3 prospect in the Pirates system and No. 79 prospect overall according to MLB Pipeline.
Harrington starred for Southern Lee High School in Sanford, N.C., with a 4-0 record, 0.32 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 43.2 innings worked in his junior season in 2019.
He would commit to Campbell as a walk-on, not playing his senior high school season as COVID-19 pandemic cancelled it.
Harrington starred in 2021 as a freshman, starting 14 of 16 he pitched in, a 6-3 record, a 3.45 ERA in 75.2 innings pitched and 75 strikeouts to 28 walks. He earned Big South Freshman of the Year, Second Team All-Big South and Freshman All-American honors from CBN, Baseball America and D1Baseball.
He improved in his sophomore season, going 12-2 in 15 starts, a 2.53 ERA in 92.2 innings pitched, 111 strikeout to 18 walks and held opposing hitters to a .204 batting average.
Harrington earned First Team All-American honors from D1Baseball and ABCA, Second Team All-American honors from NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball News and Third Team All-American honors from Baseball America, He was also the Big South Pitcher of the Year and made the First Team All-Big South.
The Pirates would select Harrington with the No. 36 overall pick in Round 1, as a competitive balance pick, earning a $2,050,000 million signing bonus.
Harrington started out 2023 with the Bradenton Marauders of the Florida State League at Single-A, where he had a 4-1 record in eight starts, 2.77 ERA in 39.0 innings, 40 strikeouts to 12 walks and held opposing hitters to a .230 batting average.
He earned a promotion to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of High Single-A in June 2023, where he spent the rest of the season. He had a 3-5 record in 18 starts, a 3.87 ERA in 88.1 innings pitched, 106 strikeouts to 29 walks and holding opposing hitters to a .255 batting average.
