In what should be the first of a several moves they make this week before the start of the regular season, the Pirates have transferred Gregory Polanco to the 10-day injured list and selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Robbie Erlin.
Neither move is particularly surprising. Polanco has been absent from summer camp since July 14, with Derek Shelton confirming that it was because he tested positive for COVID-19. Polanco gave his consent to share his test results.
He will need to pass two consecutive tests before he is allowed to rejoin the team.
Polanco came into camp saying his surgically repaired left shoulder was feeling its best since before his 2018 injury. It looked its best since the surgery, too, as he took drills throwing to right field and home plate in camp, something he did not do much of since 2018.
The Pirates currently have four outfielders in camp: Bryan Reynolds, Jarrod Dyson, Guillermo Heredia and non-roster invitee Socrates Brito.
Erlin signed a minor-league deal this offseason, but always had the inside track to make the roster. He went 0-1 with a 5.37 ERA over 55.1 innings pitched for the Padres last year, almost exclusively as a reliever. His FIP was much better than his ERA the past few years though, including recording a 3.61 mark in 2019, so the Pirates are hoping for his results to better match his peripherals.
Assuming Steven Brault is a starter or piggyback starter, Erlin and non-roster invitee Nik Turley could be the only lefties in the Pirates' bullpen.
The Pirates should add more players to the 40-man roster before the season starts July 24. That includes Derek Holland, who all but officially has a spot in the rotation, backup catcher John Ryan Murphy and utilityman Phillip Evans. Brito and Turley also seem like very probable additions, though it would require a corresponding move to add both.
The Pirates' roster currently sits at 36 players.
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