PHILADELPHIA - The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has struggled for most of 2026 and they are making another change to try and bolster it once again.
The Pirates optioned right-handed relief pitcher Brandan Bidois to Triple-A Indianapolis ahead of their game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank park on July 1.
Right-handed relief pitcher Cam Sanders joins the Pirates in his place, marking his fifth stint with the team this season.
The Pirates bullpen consists of five right-handed pitchers in Isaac Mattson , Carmen Mlodzinski , Yohan Ramrez, Dennis Santana and Sanders, plus three left-handed pitchers in Mason Montgomery , Evan Sisk and Gregory Soto .
The Pirates recalled Bidois back on May 12, initially putting him on the taxi squad and then on the 26-man roster.
Bidois made his debut for the Pirates on May 13 vs. the Colorado Rockies and became the first ever Australian to play for the Pirates
May 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Brandan Bidois (77) pitches against the Colorado Rockies in his major league debut during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He posted a 6.32 ERA over 15 outings and 15.2 innings pitched with the Pirates, with 20 strikeouts to 12 walks, a .297 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.98 WHIP.
Bidois made his most recent appearance in the 8-0 defeat to the Phillies on June 30, where he gave up four hits, a walk and three runs and got just two outs, before the Pirates pulled him for position player Tyler Callihan , who got the last out.
The Pirates checked up on Bidois during his outing, but manager Don Kelly said pregame that all the testing came out good on Bidois, so no injury for him, especially since they didn't put him on the injured list either.
Bidois also got less time out of the bullpen, going 12 days from June 14 to June 26 between two outings before his last one with the Phillies.
He will now get time back in Indianapolis, where he can work on his game and get more relief appearances to try and make his comeback to the Pirates.
Sanders is in his fifth stint with the Pirates and if they option him one more time, they have to put him on waivers when they do so.
He has spent just 11 days with the team and made six appearances, posting a 9.00 ERA over six innings pitched, with eight strikeouts to five walks, a .261 BAA and a 1.83 WHIP.
Aug 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Cam Sanders (64) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sanders will have to really show he deserves a spot with the Pirates, or it's likely he'll end up with another team or off the Pirates' 40-man roster.
Luckily for him, the Pirates are in the midst of 13 games in 13 days and have four more games after this one, including a weekend series vs. the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, July 3-5, which should give him a few opportunites.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/pirates/onsi as Pirates Send Struggling Rookie Relief Pitcher to Minors .
