Pirates Acquire Left-Handed Reliever Shortly After He Opts Out of Deal with Reds

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Bruihl Aims for Fresh Start with the Pittsburgh Pirates**

Left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl joined the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, shortly after opting out of his minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds less than a week ago.

Bruihl, 26, performed well at Triple-A Louisville, boasting a 4-0 record with a 2.31 ERA in 19 appearances. However, with limited opportunities to advance to the majors with the Reds, Bruihl chose to become a free agent on June 1.

The Pirates quickly extended an offer the next morning, and by Thursday afternoon, Bruihl was added to Pittsburgh’s major league roster, ready for the series finale against his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“With the Reds, there really wasn’t any opportunity,” Bruihl said. “They optioned one of their best lefties two or three days ago, so I saw the writing on the wall. That was a big reason for the move.”

Bruihl appeared in 65 games over three seasons with the Dodgers, achieving a 2-2 record with a 3.65 ERA in various roles, including a couple of games as an opener. After being traded to Colorado last August, he struggled with a 14.73 ERA in seven appearances.

Signed by the Reds in January, Bruihl decided to move on after two productive months at Triple-A. The Pirates were looking to add another left-handed pitcher to their bullpen, alongside hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton noted that the club had shown interest in Bruihl during the offseason before he joined the Reds, and they eagerly took the opportunity to bring him in once he became available.

Unlike Chapman, who recently threw the fastest pitch in the majors this year at 104 mph, Bruihl’s velocity is in the upper-80s to low-90s range. He is primarily viewed as a “left-on-left” specialist.

“The ability to execute offspeed left on left is really important,” Shelton said. “It can force teams to adjust their lineup midgame, leading to better matchups later on.”

For Bruihl, joining Pittsburgh is a chance to find stability after a turbulent last season.

“Hopefully, I can stick somewhere and find some stability, which would be nice,” he said. “I haven’t had much of that in the last few years, so finding some would be great.”

To make space for Bruihl on the 40-man roster, the Pirates transferred reliever Ryan Borucki (wrist) from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.