Carmen Mlodzinski sent to Triple-A, Mike Burrows to take spot in rotation

Burrows will take Mlodzinski's spot in the rotation.

May 21, 2025

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they have optioned RHP Carmen Mlodzinski to Triple-A Indianapolis and recalled RHP Mike Burrows, who will start on Thursday.

Making a move on Mlodzinski wasn’t too much of a shock; the surprise came from his being optioned rather than moved to the bullpen.

Mldozinski has posted a 5.67 ERA in nine starts this season with 28 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched. After posting a combined 149 ERA+ in 2023 and 2024 as a reliever (and sometimes opener), he has a mark of 75 this season in the rotation.

Still, the Pirates want to continue the experiment in Triple-A now. With the bullpen issues, it would make sense to just throw him back there where he has had some success.

This article on The Athletic by Eno Sarris highlights the main issue with Mlodzinski's being a starter and perhaps why the Pirates sent him to Triple-A instead of converting him to a reliever.

It basically says that Mlodzinski’s stuff doesn’t play up against lefties to a point where he could make it long-term as a starter.

Sending him to the minors could be a chance to work on that or add a new pitch to help him against lefties.

Luis Ortiz had a similar issue against lefties in the minors.

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind running it back with Mlodzinski a few times in Triple-A to see if he can make some adjustments. At this point, what do you have to lose? The rest of the rotation is running smoothly right now, giving Burrows a chance to get an extended run.

If the underlying stuff looks the same in Triple-A, make the move. Realistically, he’s a reliever and was always trending that way, but why not finish what you started?

Speaking of Burrows getting an extended run, I hope that’s what we are seeing here. It’s easy to forget that he was the team’s best pitching prospect entering 2023, when he eventually needed Tommy John surgery.

That was a system that included Quinn Priester, Braxton Ashcraft, Hunter Barco (who had yet to pitch), and a super young Bubba Chandler and Anthony Solometo (he’d reach Double-A that year).

Burrows went from a two-pitch, likely reliever while in Greensboro, to a guy with a legitimate starter’s arsenal. There’s even an argument that could be made that the two pitches he added (slider and change-up) are the two best at his disposal.

It’s a solid, well-rounded arsenal for Burrows, who is having a solid season with Triple-A Indianapolis. In eight games (seven starts), he has a 2.51 ERA with 41 strikeouts to 11 walks in 32.1 innings pitched.

The change-up has been his biggest swing-and-miss pitch, which he has a history of throwing to both righties and lefties.

Looking at his numbers from last year, you can see the jump with his fastball from a shape point of view.

He’s getting more induced vertical break and less horizontal movement, creating a ‘cutting’ action to the fastball. Much of that is from his higher arm release, but he’s also getting a slightly flatter approach (VAA) to it and a tad more extension.

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It’s been a long time coming for Burrows, who will be 26 after the season ends. He made his debut last year and looked good, even though it was out of the bullpen.

Burrows has become the ‘forgotten’ prospect, which seems easy to do when you have Chandler, Thomas Harrington, Ashcraft, and the rising Barco.

While Chandler is knocking on the door, it’s good to see the Pirates giving Burrows an opportunity, and hope it goes on for more than one start.

The stuff continues to trend back to pre-surgery form, making him a safe addition to the back of the rotation.

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