Chris Duffy, who had surgery on his left shoulder Aug. 31 of last year, will begin a rehabilitation assignment with Class AA Altoona today at Connecticut.
The center fielder, whom the Pirates had expected to be game-ready in early April, had a few setbacks and continued to rehab in Extended Spring in Bradenton, Fla.
What does "rehab" mean for a player like Duffy? If they're just planning on sending him to Indianapolis, why have him "rehab" in Altoona, which is only a rung lower? Why not just send him to Indianapolis? I'd thought that Duffy would just wind up at Indianapolis for a while, but the fact that they didn't just send him there makes me wonder if they might clear a spot for him in Pittsburgh soon. One paper reports that Duffy will be with Altoona for quite a while, but I wouldn't be surprised if that weren't the case. This is idle speculation all the way, but I wonder what's going on here.
The same article reports that the Bucs have signed three more draft picks, including ninth-rounder Matt Hague. The other two guys were the Pirates' 48th- and 50th-round picks.