Justin Masterson: Signs minor league deal with Pirates

Masterson (shoulder) agreed to a minor league deal with the Pirates on Thursday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Masterson held a showcase in late March for teams to demonstrate that he had recovered from shoulder surgery in September. He impressed the Pirates organization enough for them to take a minor league flier on him, but there's no word on which affiliate he'll be assigned to at this point. The Pirates' rotation appears to be cemented at the major league level, but Masterson could potentially be called up later in the season to eat up some innings out of the bullpen.