The Pittsburgh Pirates added an arm to their competition for the starting rotation by claiming right-handed pitcher Adonis Medina off waivers Wednesday from the Philadelphia Phillies.
Medina, 25, was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings over five appearances for the Phillies, including two starts, the past two seasons.
Medina entered the 2021 season ranked by Baseball America as the Phillies’ No. 12 prospect but spent most of the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he was 4-5 with a 5.05 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings over 17 starts. He had two stints with the Phillies in 2021, on Aug. 14 and from Sept. 11 through the end of the season, and was 0-0 with a 3.52 ERA in four appearances, including one start.
The 6-foot-1, 187-pound native of the Dominican Republic has a five-pitch offering, featuring an above-average slider, a four-seam fastball that sits at 93 mph and touches 95 and a changeup and sinker. He ranked third in strikeouts (123) and fourth in wins (10) in the Florida State League in 2018, when Medina was selected to the Futures Game.
The Pirates will have to make a corresponding move to open a spot on their 40-man roster.
