Pirates recall reliever Kyle Nicolas from Triple-A ahead of Reds series

The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled righty reliever Kyle Nicolas from Triple-A Indianapolis Friday ahead of their series in Cincinnati against the Reds.

Nicolas replaces righty rookie Thomas Harrington, who was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday, on the 26-man roster.

His recall comes with the Pirates seeking bullpen reinforcements, with Colin Holderman placed on the injured list April 6.

Nicolas, 26, is primed to make his 2025 debut after being a surprise cut from the big-league roster towards the end of spring training.

In 2024, his first full season in the majors, Nicolas developed into a trustworthy high-leverage bullpen option, going 1-1 with a 3.95 ERA over 51 outings.

Through 52 2/3 innings, he struck out 55 with 31 walks, holding batters to a .249 average while posting a WHIP of 1.50.

This spring, Nicolas also looked good as he had a 1.00 ERA in three games and nine innings of Grapefruit League action.

Beginning the season with Triple-A, Nicolas struggled.

Over 4 2/3 innings, he has an 11.57 ERA with eight strikeouts, three walks, a 2.36 WHIP and .364 batting average against.

A 6-foot-3 pitcher out of Ball State, Nicolas was originally a 2020 draft pick (No. 61 overall) by the Marlins in 2020 but was part of the return package Miami sent the Pirates in November of 2021 for catcher Jacob Stallings.

He throws three pitches: a four-seam fastball that averages 97.4 mph, per Statcast, as well as a slider and curveball.

Nicolas made his MLB debut with the Pirates on Sept. 19, 2023.

Note: Friday’s game between the Pirates and Reds begins at 6:40 p.m. and is being streamed by Apple TV+.