Shane Youman will start in place of Victor Santos against the Reds on Sunday.
I apologize for deciding this is an extremely bad idea before Youman has made his first big-league appearance, but this just seems cruel - to Youman, to the Pirates' bullpen, and to Pirates fans.
Perhaps Youman is a hardworking guy. Perhaps he is a good person. But he is not a major league pitcher. He has substandard stuff and cannot even strike out Class AAA hitters. He has never been a prospect. If anyone is aware of a decent big league starter who has a minor league profile anywhere near as bad as Youman's, please let me know. Next time someone wants to tell you about the Pirates' awesome pitching depth, please remind them that they are not only using a roster spot on Youman, they're letting him start.
This sequence of events reminds me of the movie "Rocky." Let's keep in mind that Rocky couldn't even win his first fight in the context of a feel-good Hollywood movie. I put the over-under on the length of this Rocky's start at two innings. Anything can happen in a single start, of course, but wow, is this a bad idea.