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Chad Kuhl throws Tuesday. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle says it takes time for young starters to settle in at the major league level.
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Young Pirates starting pitchers learning on the job

Associated Press

Young Pirates starting pitchers learning on the job

MILWAUKEE — There’s a certain level of consistency one comes to expect from a veteran starting pitcher. The Pirates are familiar with Matt Garza, 33, who pitched Monday for the Milwaukee Brewers, and the next five starters they will face — Junior Guerra, Chase Anderson, Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn and Mike Leake — are between ages 29 and 35.

Seasoned starters are a luxury the Pirates have little of in their rotation. Their elder statesman is Ivan Nova, who is 30, and three of their five starters — Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl and Trevor Williams — and much of their rotation depth have less than a year of starts in the majors.

Tuesday, manager Clint Hurdle said young starters can be more “volatile” than rookies at other positions as they attempt to settle into their spots. They take the stage only once every five days, so every start seems magnified. They often lack consistency with their mindset and arsenal. Kuhl, for example, has evolved into an entirely different pitcher this season, eschewing a sinker-ball style for a high-velocity, curveball-heavy one.

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“Sometimes, it’s just them becoming steadfast in what they do well, not trying to do more and enhance pitches,” Hurdle said Tuesday before the game. “Just execute pitches. It’s mound maturity. That comes with experience. That comes with taking some punishing games, as well, from time to time. You develop a different kind of trust, normally.

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“Most young players get to this level because they’ve been really good players. You’re a big fish in a small pond in the minor leagues. When you come up here, you very quickly become a small fish in a very big pond. You’ve got to fight for survival, and then you’ve got to fight to become a guy who can make a difference, and then fight to become a winner, an elite player.”

It impacts both sides of the equation. Tuesday, Kuhl went against right-hander Zach Davies, 24. The Pirates had a sample of 49 Davies starts to pull from, which is more than Kuhl has made in the majors, but there was no guarantee Davies hadn’t changed, too.

When the Pirates were in Atlanta at the end of May, Hurdle said, the coaches had some fun looking at the early career numbers for Braves greats John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. They were inconsistent. They got banged around. The same can be said for many starters who eventually found a rhythm and pitched at a high level for the remainder of their careers, becoming trusted veterans.

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“You’ve got to help [young pitchers] hold confidence, not just based on results, and keep confidence, not just based on bad results,” Hurdle said. “Certain pitchers work through that better and more efficiently than others. It doesn’t mean they’re good or bad.”

Catcher ill

Francisco Cervelli was scratched from the Pirates lineup Tuesday about 90 minutes before the first pitch at Miller Park after experiencing flu-like symptoms. Rookie Elias Diaz was inserted into the starting lineup to catch Kuhl.

Over the weekend, the Pirates reinstated backup catcher Chris Stewart from the 10-day disabled list, but he has yet to play. They are expected to drop to two catchers at some point this week. It is unclear who will be dropped.

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Draft picks signed

The Pirates officially have signed 12 of the 40 players they drafted last week. Tuesday, they added 11 names to a list of prospects which began Friday with prep right-hander Shane Baz, the No. 12 overall pick, signing for $4.1 million.

The players signed Tuesday were outfielder Calvin Mitchell (second round), outfielder Conner Uselton (competitive-balance Round B), catcher Jason Delay (fourth), catcher Deon Stafford (fifth), outfielder Jared Oliva (seventh), left-hander Blake Weiman (eighth), outfielder Bligh Madrid (ninth), right-hander Beau Sulser (10th), infielder Tristan Gray (13th), right-hander Gavin Wallace (15th) and infielder Nick Valaika (24th).

Mitchell and Uselton, the only high school players signed Tuesday, will start their professional careers with the Gulf Coast League Pirates. Delay and Valaika will report to rookie-level Bristol. The others were assigned to short-season Class A West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va.

The Pirates have yet to sign two of their top five picks. The deadline is July 7. Third-rounder Dylan Busby, an infielder for Florida State, is playing in the College World Series. Right-hander Steve Jennings, taken with the second pick at No. 42 overall, is a prep pitcher from Tennessee.

Stephen J. Nesbitt: snesbitt@post-gazette.com and Twitter @stephenjnesbitt.

First Published: June 21, 2017, 4:00 a.m.

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Chad Kuhl throws Tuesday. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle says it takes time for young starters to settle in at the major league level.  (Associated Press)
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