The Pirates optioned Burrows to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Burrows didn't see much success during his time in the Grapefruit League, giving up four earned runs in just five innings while striking out three batters and walking four. That being said, the 25-year-old held his own during his MLB debut last season, so the Pirates may be willing to promote him again in 2025 for spot starts or perhaps a more permanent spot if there are injuries.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Vying for roster spot
Rotowire
Burrows has a chance to make the Pirates' roster out of spring training, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Burrows hasn't had overwhelming success this spring, allowing four earned runs with only a 4:3 K:BB across five innings. However, he remains in camp with the big-league club despite other of the team's top pitching prospects such as Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco already being reassigned. If Burrows does make the roster, he'd likely begin in long relief, but he should be an option to make spot starts throughout the campaign.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Earns first win
Rotowire
Burrows (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out two to earn the win Saturday against the Yankees.
Burrows followed Paul Skenes into the game to make his major-league debut. Despite his final line, he began 11 of the 14 batters he faced with a strike and managed to throw 60 percent of his pitches over the plate. Most importantly, he has proved healthy and capable of handling a normal workload across the second half of the season after returning from Tommy John surgery. That should put him in a position to compete for a rotation spot in 2025.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Rehab moved to Single-A
Rotowire
Burrows (elbow) had his rehab assignment transferred from the rookie-level Florida Complex League to Single-A Bradenton on Friday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Burrows continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery in April 2023. He made his first rehab outing in the FCL on Monday, when he gave up three runs on one hit and two walks over 1.1 innings. Burrows is expected to start for Bradenton early next week.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Starts up rehab assignment
Rotowire
Burrows (elbow) began a rehab assignment Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, covering 1.1 innings while allowing three earned runs on one hit and two walks.
Burrows' appearance was his first in affiliated ball since April 8, 2023, as the right-hander had been shut down ever since undergoing Tommy John surgery later that month. He currently resides on Triple-A Indianapolis' 60-day injured list and will eventually rejoin the Pirates' top affiliate once he completes an extended rehab assignment in the lower levels of the minors. Expect Burrows to remain in Florida for at least another week or two while he continues to build up his pitch count and looks to regain his pre-surgery command and velocity.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Optioned to minors
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Burrows (elbow) to the minor leagues Friday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Burrows had his 2023 season cut short when he underwent Tommy John surgery in late April. The right-hander will start the 2024 season in the minors and look to work his way up to the majors.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Hits Triple-A IL
Rotowire
Triple-A Indianapolis placed Burrows (forearm) on its 7-day injured list April 11.
Burrows' move to the IL was fully expected after Pirates general manager Ben Cherington disclosed that the right-hander suffered a forearm injury in his second outing of the season for Indianapolis back on April 8. The 23-year-old is without a definitive timeline for a return.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: Unlucky in Triple-A
Rotowire
Burrows has a 4.93 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 34:9 K:BB through 34.2 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis.
After a dominant showing in Double-A, the 22-year-old hasn't been nearly so successful at the higher level. In fact, he's only managed to finish five innings one time in nine appearances (seven starts), and his strikeout rate has dipped quite a bit (from 11.9 K/9 to 8.8). That said, Burrows hasn't had great luck in Triple-A -- he's allowed a .327 BABIP while posting just a 61.9 percent strand rate, so he's due for some positive regression. With two very good pitches (a mid-to-high-90s fastball and a sharp curveball), Burrows has a floor as a high-leverage bullpen arm, but he still has a chance to be a big-league starter if he can develop his changeup into a plus offering.
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Pirates' Mike Burrows: One step closer to majors
Rotowire
Burrows was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Adam Babetski of the Altoona Mirror reports.
The 22-year-old righty posted a 2.94 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 69:19 K:BB in 52 innings across 12 starts at Double-A. Burrows has been fantastic for most of the season and will make his Triple-A debut Sunday.
