Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Expected to begin spring training
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Stratton (knee) is expected to be ready to pitch at the start of spring training, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton posted a video of him throwing off of a mound Thursday, around a month before pitchers report to spring training. He ruptured his patella tendon in late August but appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery. Though Stratton will be in camp on a minor-league deal, he was effective in 2024 and should contribute out of the bullpen again in 2025.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Back with Bucs
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Stratton (knee) signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates on Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton was with the Pirates in 2024 and threw 37.2 innings out of the bullpen while maintaining a 3.58 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. His recovery from knee surgery could spill over into the regular season, but he's likely to contribute as a reliever for the big-league club at some point in 2025.
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Hunter Stratton: Non-tendered by Pirates
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The Pirates non-tendered Stratton (knee) on Friday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton's 2024 season was cut short by a ruptured patella tendon in late August, and he's likely to miss the first couple months of the 2025 campaign while recovering from surgery. Despite his injury, the 28-year-old's 3.26 ERA over 49.2 career innings should still be enough to attract interest in free agency from bullpen-needy teams.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Carted off field
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Stratton was carted off the field Saturday against Cincinnati with an apparent left knee injury after slipping and falling into the wall tracking down a wild pitch, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton looked to be in serious pain after crashing into the wall and required a cart to exit the field of play. He was grabbing at his left knee following the collision. While it doesn't look good, there should be an update on Stratton's health postgame.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Back from injured list
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The Pirates activated Stratton (triceps) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Stratton has been out since mid-June with a right triceps strain but has been cleared to return to the active roster following a few rehab appearances. The 27-year-old holds a 4.26 ERA with a 30:5 K:BB over 31.2 innings out of the bullpen this season.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Kicking off rehab assignment
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Stratton (tricep) will begin a rehab assignment Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.
The right-hander has been on the shelf since June 14 with a tricep strain but has now reached the final stage of his throwing progression. He'll likely need at least a couple of tune-up outings in the minors before being activated from the 15-day injured list, potentially as soon as Friday, when the Pirates open their second-half schedule. Stratton turned in a 4.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP while gathering two wins, one save and four holds over 31.2 innings before landing on the IL.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Set to throw off slope
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Stratton (triceps) is expected to throw off a slope in the coming days, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Tuesday.
Stratton has been limited to throwing on flat ground since hitting the IL on June 14, but he's feeling good enough to toss off a slope. It's unclear if he'll require a rehab assignment, but Stratton still has several checkpoints to complete before being activated.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Lands on injured list
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The Pirates placed Stratton on the 15-day injured list Friday with a right triceps strain, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Stratton had to make an early exit from his appearance Thursday, and he will now officially be sidelined until at least June 29. Josh Fleming will come up from Triple-A Indianapolis to fill Stratton's spot in the bullpen.
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Pirates' Hunter Stratton: Exits appearance with injury
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Stratton was removed from Thursday's appearance in St. Louis with an apparent right shoulder injury, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton was facing his second batter after entering in the bottom of the eighth inning and immediately grabbed at his shoulder after delivering a pitch to Brendan Donovan. The Pirates should have more on the reliever's condition after the game.
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Hunter Stratton: Moves into free agency
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Stratton became a free agent Friday after being non-tendered by the Pirates, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Stratton is 27 years old and has made only eight career appearances at the major-league level. He holds an underwhelming 4.66 ERA in 143 career innings of work at Triple-A.