WASHINGTON - The Pittsburgh Pirates have made another bullpen change in 2026, but this one was out of necessity, rather than a performance-based decison.
The Pirates placed left-handed relief pitcher Evan Sisk on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation, retroactive to July 1, which was the last time he pitched, coming in the 10-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Pittsburgh recalled right-handed pitcher Hunter Stratton from Triple-A Indianapolis, who is available for the team ahead of their next game vs. the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 4.
It's a tough loss for the Pirates bullpen, as they won't have another southpaw option that has done a solid job in 2026.
The Pirates now go from three left-handed relief pitchers to just two, with Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto the remaining southpaws.
Both Montgomery and Soto didn't pitch in the series opener vs. the Nationals, a 9-5 loss on July 3, so both are availble for the Pirates in this game.
Jun 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Gregory Soto (31) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Pirates now have six right-handed pitchers in their bullpen, with the addition of Stratton, in Isaac Mattson , Carmen Mlodzinski Yohan Ramrez, Cam Sanders and Dennis Santana .
Stratton's return marks his first time back with the Pirates since they traded him to the Atlanta Braves on July 1, 2025, bringing him back via trade on June 18, as they sent catcher Joey Bart the other way.
He had thrown four scoreless outing and 5.1 innings at Indianapolis before the Pirates recalled him.
Sisk was having a great season for the Pirates before going on the injured list, someone the team relied on in different situations.
He posted a 2.23 ERA over 32 appearances and 36.1 innings pitched, with 43 strikeouts to 13 walks, a .231 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.18 WHIP.
May 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Evan Sisk (48) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sisk did a great job inducing weak contact, posting some of the lowest exit velocity, barrel and hard hit rates, plus a 2.86 expected ERA and a .192 expected BAA, both towards the lower end of MLB pitchers.
His unique arm slot allows him to "disguise" his pitches and get great movement on his offspeed pitches that makes it difficult for hitters to get an idea of what he's throwing.
He didn't make the Pirates Opening Day roster, but had spent almost three months with the team after they recalled him back on April 13 before this injury.
The Pirates will hope that Stratton brings the same kind of success out of the bullpen, an area of struggle for the team this season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/pirates/onsi as Pirates Lose Lefty Relief Pitcher to Injury .
