The Pittsburgh Pirates announced a pair of roster transactions Monday, an off day for the club, ending the rehabilitation assignent of right-hander Dauri Moreta and designating catcher Brett Sullivan for assignment.
Sullivan was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for Moreta, who was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. He has gone 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA over 16 appearances there.
Moreta, 29, was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and is in the final stages of recovering from Tommy John surgery that erased the entirety of his 2024 campaign.
The year prior, Moreta emerged as a reliable bullpen option for the Pirates, going 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA, 76 strikeouts and .187 batting average against in 55 appearances.
Moreta’s rehab assignment this season began with the Low-A Bradenton Marauders, for whom he made two appearances. Then, in early may, he joined the Indians, pitching with them for the first time May 6.
Of note, Moreta’s rehab assignment exceeded the 30-day maximum allowed for pitchers, per MLB regulations.
However, Pirates assistant general manager Steve Sanders offered some context on the situation during a Sunday afternoon appearance on 93.7 The Fan.
“We can put in for an extension if it’s in the player’s best interest, so that happened a little over a week ago,” Sanders said.
Moreta’s last major-league appearance came Oct. 1, 2023.
As for Sullivan, 31, a nine-day stint with the Pirates comes to an end.
Brought up to the big leagues to offer depth behind the plate while Joey Bart was sidelined with a concussion, his departure suggests that Bart, currently rehabbing with the Indians, could be nearing a return.
Sullivan appeared in three games for the Pirates, batting .167 with two RBIs.
Acquired from the San Diego Padres in a mid-April trade, Sullivan is hitting .218 in 30 games at the Triple-A level this season.
Through 20 games with Indianapolis, he’s slashing .211/.250/.324 with a homer and 10 RBIs.
