Beimel has elbow discomfort, doubtful for Opening Day

It sounds like Pirates left-hander Joe Beimel is going to be unavailable when the Bucs’ regular season kicks off on April 1.

Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Beimel had to be scratched from a one-inning outing against the Red Sox on Sunday due to discomfort in his throwing elbow.

This discomfort isn’t new. Beimel first began feeling tightness in his forearm on March 1 and was shut down for almost two weeks. He returned for a Grapefruit League appearance on March 14 and pitched again on March 17, but he reported renewed soreness when he arrived back at Pirates camp on the morning of March 18. That soreness continues to linger.

“I’m not sure what to say about that at this point,” Beimel told the Tribune-Review on Sunday. “It’s definitely frustrating. I want to be out there pitching. But at the same time, I don’t want to push it too hard to get ready for Opening Day and have a setback and be out for a lot longer. It’s better to take care of it now and go from there.”

The Pirates signed Beimel to a minor league contract this winter that carries a potential $1.75 million salary. He turned in a 3.40 ERA and held left-handed batters to a .653 OPS in 71 appearances last season for the Rockies. When healthy and when used correctly, he can be a fairly useful bullpen tool.