The suspension of Pirates bullpen coach Euclides Rojas before Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds became somewhat lost after a benches-clearing melee that resulted in suspensions for six players and managers Clint Hurdle and David Bell.
The Pirates said that Rojas, 51, was suspended for a contract violation and didn't offer any further details.
According to sources, Rojas and relief pitcher Kyle Crick got into an altercation Sunday that became physical. Sources say that Rojas pushed Crick. The dust-up ended after both men were restrained.
It’s the second internal suspension for a member of the organization this season. Pitcher Keone Kela was suspended for a contract violation on July 22 in a separate incident with Hector Morales, the team's performance coach.
Rojas started his career with the Pirates as a roving minor league instructor in 2002 and worked his way up to bullpen coach in 2011. He has been the bullpen coach since Hurdle became manager.
Crick has 45 strikeouts over 38 innings as a reliever and has emerged as a reliable option for high-leverage situations.
A bullpen coach is expected to have a close relationship with the relievers in his role as a liaison between the pitchers and the manager. Pitchers need to be honest with the bullpen coach about their health so the manager knows who's available to pitch on a given day.
If that trust is broken, it could be damaging to the team going forward. The Pirates need Crick for the rest of the season and beyond. Rojas has Hurdle's trust, so how the Pirates handle this situation will be worth watching.
Nubyjas Wilborn: nwilborn@post-gazette.com and Twitter @nwilborn19
Clarification, posted Aug. 2, 2019: The incident between Kyle Crick and Euclides Rojas occurred Sunday. Rojas was suspended Tuesday.
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First Published: August 2, 2019, 7:35 p.m.
