The Pirates will recall Kyle Nicolas from Triple-A Indianapolis, sources informed the Post-Gazette Thursday afternoon. Nicolas will join the Pirates in Cincinnati, where the two teams will begin a three-game series Friday at 6:40 p.m. He will replace rookie Thomas Harrington, who was optioned to Triple-A following Wednesday’s contest at PNC Park.
A 26-year-old right-hander, Nicolas was a regular in the Pirates bullpen last season, logging 54 ⅔ innings over 51 games. In his first full season in the big leagues, Nicolas finished with respectable numbers, going 2-2 with a 3.95 ERA, striking out 55 batters and walking 31.
Nicolas was viewed by many as a lock to make this year’s opening day roster. But despite an overall strong showing this spring (1-0, 1.00 ERA over nine innings), he was optioned to Triple-A in the final week of camp.
The start of Nicolas’ 2025 campaign was less than stellar. In four appearances with Triple-A Indianapolis, he surrendered six runs, all earned, over 4 ⅔ innings (11.57 ERA). His most recent outing was his best, throwing a scoreless frame that featured no hits or walks on Tuesday in Louisville.
General manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton have given Nicolas high praise over the past year, both stating that his pitch quality, or “stuff,” is good enough to one day make him a closer at the game’s highest level. Nicolas’ biggest issue, at least for now, pertains to control, as he has struggled to consistently locate his pitches within the strike zone, leading to an occasional lengthy outing.
As mentioned earlier, Nicolas replaces Harrington on the major league roster. Rated the No. 79 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Harrington made his big-league debut on April 1 against the Rays.
The outing was one to forget for the 23-year-old, who was tagged for six runs over four innings and was the game’s losing pitcher. Harrington pitched just once more following his debut, throwing four innings of relief Monday against the Cardinals to earn his first big-league save.
First Published: April 10, 2025, 6:35 p.m.
Updated: April 11, 2025, 2:00 a.m.
