69 Nik Turley SP

Turley was suspended without pay for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Turley, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Twins, will begin serving his suspension at the start of the season. He spent most of the 2017 campaign with Triple-A Rochester, posting an impressive 2.66 ERA and 79:22 K:BB across 67.2 innings of work (18 total appearances, 10 starts). His success didn't carry over to the majors, however, as he posted an unsightly 11.21 ERA and 2.15 WHIP across 17.2 big-league frames. The 28-year-old will likely serve as organizational bullpen depth when he returns from his suspension in the second half of 2018.

Turley was claimed off waivers by the Pirates on Monday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Turley spent most of the 2017 season at Triple-A Rochester as a member of the Twins organization. Over 18 games, 10 of which were starts, he put together a 2.66 ERA and impressive 28.9 percent K-rate. However, his success didn't translate to the majors. Across 10 games (17.2 innings) with the big club he was knocked for an 11.21 ERA and 2.15 WHIP.

Turley was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Friday.

The 27-year-old southpaw has been rocked (12.51 ERA) in 13.2 innings in the big leagues this year, including three starts, but he figures to occupy a mop-up role out of the bullpen in September. He has a 2.66 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 67.2 innings at Triple-A -- splitting time between starting and relieving.

Turley was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

The Twins had designated Turley as their 26th man for Monday's doubleheader with the White Sox, so it was fully expected that he'd report back to Rochester at the conclusion of the twin bill. Turley ended up pitching in long relief in the first game of the doubleheader, covering 3.2 innings and giving up two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three batters.

The Twins optioned Turley to Triple-A Rochester, but subsequently recalled him to serve as the 26th man for Monday's doubleheader with the White Sox.

In order to facilitate the addition of Game 1 starter Tim Melville to the active roster, Turley was optioned in what amounted to a procedural move. Though Turley will stick around with the big club for now, he'll likely be bound for Rochester once the doubleheader is completed, as either Melville or Dillon Gee -- the Game 2 starter Monday -- will assume the long-relief role that had previously fallen to Turley following the twin bill.