Pirates option Antwone Kelly to Triple-A

Kelly has a 10.38 ERA in two appearances for the Pirates this year, but it’s a fresh arm’s game and the 22-year-old will join the pen after Hunter Barco threw 73 pitches last night.

Kelly, who was called up Friday, gave up three runs while pitching two innings in the rout of the Brewers on Sunday. He’s allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings in two appearances for the Pirates this year.

Kelly is the Pirates’ 7th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and was up in the middle of June when he allowed two runs over 2 1/3 innings against the Marlins. While twelve of his 17 appearances in Triple-A have been starts, he is likely up to give the Pirates some depth out of the bullpen since they got a short outing from Mitch Keller on Thursday.

Kelly heads back to the minors after allowing two runs over 2 1/3 innings on Friday in his big-league debut against the Marlins. The 22-year-old prospect figures to receive a more extensive look at some point later this summer.

Kelly is the Pirates’ 7th-ranked prospect. The 22-year-old has a 4.50 ERA in 54 innings at Triple-A (13 appearances, 10 starts) with a 47/24 K/BB ratio. Kelly pitched for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, but he was born in Aruba and will be the first pitcher from Aruba to debut in MLB since 1998 and the first Aruban pitcher in MLB overall in 17 years. He’ll provide the Pirates with some length and velocity in their bullpen.

We’re still early enough in spring training that these large batches of cuts don’t usually come with any major surprises. Harrington pitched well in Grapefruit League action, posting a 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 2/3 K/BB ratio over six innings. He should get an opportunity with the Pirates at some point during the 2026 campaign.

Valdez is the clear headliner on the heels of a transcendent Arizona Fall League campaign where he batted .368/.513/.842 with eight round-trippers in 19 games. The 21-year-old slugger’s emergence gives the Pirates another potential high-impact bat to pair with blue-chip prospects Konnor Griffin and Edward Florentino, who will enter next season among the top-ranked talents in baseball. He’s officially protected from selection in next month’s Rule 5 Draft and should enter next spring as one of the more exciting talents for fantasy managers to monitor in the upper minors.