The Pirates have placed right-hander Gerrit Cole on the 15-day disabled list, retro to June 4, due to right shoulder fatigue.
Manager Clint Hurdle said there have been some signs in his past several starts that fatigue may have set in. The length of the DL stint means Cole is likely to miss his next two scheduled starts.
“There’s been some indicators that have popped up that haven’t been the norm if you look at indicators from last year,” Hurdle said.
Cole did not pitch as efficiently in his most recent start in San Diego.
“When a player admits it, it’s usually about the third time it happens,” Hurdle said. “Look at pitch per inning. Look at strike percentage. All these things, the number of pitches out of the stretch, versus number of pitches out of the windup.”
The club recalled Jeff Locke to start today’s rubber match against the Milwaukee Brewers, as the corresponding roster move.
Cole, 6-3 this season with a 3.64 ERA, went 5 2/3 innings in his start against the Padres, allowing one run and four hits. Three of the hits came from the final three batters he faced.
Cole was not available in the Pirates clubhouse this morning. General Manager Neal Huntington is expected to be available before today's 1:35 p.m. game.
First Published: June 8, 2014, 4:27 p.m.