The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher whose fastball turned heads in spring training by touching triple digits is ready to make his major league debut, as Blake Cederlind was activated Tuesday from the taxi squad.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander, who started the 2019 season in Class high-A Bradenton and finished it in Triple-A Indianapolis, is expected to be used out of the bullpen either Tuesday or Wednesday when the Pirates play the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Blake Cederlind, K Strut ?
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 25, 2020
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“What I expect is for him just to throw strikes,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “Don’t expect anything, kid making his major league debut. Just come in, throw strikes, be aggressive, kind of work from there. Happy he’s part of our club moving forward.”
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said the club brought Cederlind on the road trip so he could spend time working with pitching coach Oscar Marin and bullpen coach Justin Meccage. When the Pirates went deep into their bullpen after Monday’s doubleheader, the timing was right. To make room on the 28-man roster, the Pirates optioned outfielder Jason Martin to their alternate training site in Altoona.
“We kind of need another pitcher today, ideally,” Cherington said. “So just kind of lined up.”
A fifth-round draft pick in 2016, Cederlind endured a couple of rocky seasons in the minors before going 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA in 59 1/3 innings over 41 appearances last season. Cederlind’s velocity wowed the Pirates in spring training in Bradenton, but he tested positive for covid-19 in July and missed summer camp at PNC Park.
The Pirates were careful not to rush the process, building his pitch volume back up slowly. Cederlind impressed the Pirates in live batting practice sessions in Altoona and Kansas City, so he got the call-up.
“That’s the big thing with him. His stuff is so good that it’s really getting it in the strike zone, being aggressive with it,” Cherington said. “Now, hopefully, he’ll get a chance to test that out against big league hitters.”
