Morning Rundown: Brennan Malone Throws Off Mound, Po-Yu Chen Inning Milestone, Ryan Borucki Impresses As Opener

For the first time this year, Brennan Malone threw off a mound, Po-Yu Chen reached an inning milestone and Ryan Borucki pitched as an opener for the Pirates.

Part of the Starling Marte trade, Brennan Malone was one of the top prep pitchers available in the 2019 draft class, the same that the Pirates got Quinn Priester from.

Unfortunately, due to injuries, Malone has logged just 27 innings on the mound since going pro back in 2019.

Last year he pitched three games (five innings) before needing surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Not an easy surgery to come back from, we are now in late July, and still not much had been heard from him. A recent Instagram post shows him throwing from a mound for the first time yesterday, a big step in his recovery.

When healthy and on the mound, Malone has struggled with his control - not really surprising for the time he’s missed - but has great stuff.

Malone turns 23 in September.

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Pitching in High-A with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Po-Yu Chen became the first player in the Pirates system to reach 90 innings pitched on the season. Quinn Priester crossed the mark in the majors, so Chen is the first one to completely do it in the minors.

It’s been a solid season for Chen, who threw 98.1 innings last year with the Marauders. He has one of the better off speed pitches in the system (splitter), but the fastball can be a little underwhelming at times.

Regardless, he has a 4.10 ERA this season, actually pitching better at home (3.40) than on the road (5.09).

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It wasn’t the best of starts to Ryan Borucki’s tenure with the Pirates, allowing three runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning (one out in each of his first two appearances).

He’s been really solid since then. In the 10 games since, he’s allowed just three runs (2.13 ERA) in 12.2 innings, striking out 14 and walking none (two hit batters).

With a lineup that had a heavy left-handed presence at the top, Borucki was used as an opener on Saturday, pitching 1.2 innings, striking out three - including Shohei Ohtani and Matt Thaiss.

After Jose Hernandez returning to the team, the Pirates have three lefties in the bullpen, and even if they decided to reduce it by one, Borucki is making a strong case to hang around.

Minor League Recap 7/22

Indianapolis Indians - 3 vs Iowa Cubs - 5

Top Hitter - Grant Koch: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR (4)

Top Pitcher - Travis MacGregor: 3 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Altoona Curve - 1 vs Reading Fighting Phils - 3

Top Hitter - Jackson Glenn: 3-4, R, RBI, HR (1), 2B

Top Pitcher - Justin Meis: 3 IP, BB, 6 K

Greensboro Grasshoppers - 1 vs Wilmington Blue Rocks - 2

Top Hitter - Jase Bowen: 2-3, RBI

Top Pitcher - Po-Yu Chen: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K

Bradenton Marauders - 2 vs Fort Myers Mighty Mussels -3

Top Hitter - Yordany De Los Santos: 2-3, R, 2B

Top Pitcher - Dominic Perachi: 6 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K

FCL Pirates - 3 vs FCL Orioles - 2

Top Hitter - Rafael Escalante: 2-3, 2 RBI, 2B

Top Pitcher - Roelmy Garcia: 2 IP, K

DSL Pirates Black - 11 vs DSL Red Sox Blue - 6

Top Hitter - Angel Aquino: 3-5, 3 RBI, 2 2B

Top Pitcher - Dermis Ordonez: IP, 2 K

DSL Pirates Gold - 2 vs DSL Cubs Red - 3

Top Hitter - Tony Blanco Jr.: 2-3, 2 RBI

Top Pitcher - Yoerys Hernandez: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K