Rookie Davis and Dovydas Neverauskas have been called up from Class AAA Indianapolis as the Pirates continue to try to seek help for their injured and inconsistent pitching staff.
Both right-handers were expected to be available to out of the bullpen Saturday night when the Pirates host the Dodgers at PNC Park. Davis could possibly start one of the games of Monday's doubleheader against the Reds at Cincinnati, if he is not needed in relief before then.
Michael Feliz was optioned to Indianapolis a day after a disastrous outing as an opener in Friday night's 10-2 loss to the Dodgers. He retired only one of the six batters he faced while being tagged for five runs.
Chris Stratton was placed on the 10-day injured list with right side discomfort. He was injured while throwing a pitch in the seventh inning Friday night.
Stratton becomes the 21st Pirates player to go on the IL within the first 48 games of the season. Among other pitchers presently on the IL are Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, Keone Kela and Nick Burdi. Kela is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Indianapolis on Saturday night.
With Taillon and Williams missing from the rotation, the Pirates have used openers in three of the previous six games. The openers, Montana DuRapau and Feliz, have collectively surrendered a total of eight runs in three innings.
Lonnie Chisenhall was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Davis, who was signed to a minor-league contract in February. Chisenhall has not played all season because of a broken right hand and left calf strain.
In seven starts with Indianapolis, the 26-year-old Davis was 1-3 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. He pitched in the major leagues with the Reds in 2017, going 1-3 with an 8.63 ERA and 2.16 WHIP in seven games, including six starts.
Neverauskas, 26, appeared in three games for the Pirates earlier this season and was torched for seven runs in 1 1/3 innings for a 37.80 ERA. At Indy, he had a 1.98 ERA and four saves in 11 games.
PERROTTO'S VIEW
These moves sum up how dire the Pirates' pitching staff is. Neither Davis nor Neverauskas should be in the major leagues right now but the Pirates are just looking for anyone who can throw a baseball 60 feet, six inches.
That the Pirates have yet to patch even one of the two holes in the rotation with at least a warm body is borderline unfathomable.
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