Yerry De Los Santos lands on 60-day IL, cutting promising rookie season short

It was announced last night before the Pirates’ ultimately losing game against the Giants that rookie reliever Yerry De Los Santos’s season was over after being placed on the 60-day IL with a right shoulder latissimus dorsi muscle strain.

De Los Santos was coming into middle- or late-relief situations, and while he wasn’t setting the world on fire, he was doing what was asked of him. Before the Arizona game on Thursday, where it was first noticed something was off, he had posted a 3.51 ERA and 3.67 FIP across 25 2/3 innings, with 26 strikeouts to eight walks.

De Los Santos told MLB Pirates beat writer Justice Delos Santos (no relation) that he felt tightness prior to his outing in Arizona on Thursday, one in which he allowed four runs without retiring a batter but tried to push through. De Los Santos didn’t feel any pain on the mound but said, through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez, “It was like something was there tugging.”

His shutdown added to the injury woes of the Pirates bullpen, as it was announced on Wednesday that closer David Bednar, who’s been dealing with a back injury, has yet to start throwing again.

The Pirates will probably start leaning more on Wil Crowe in late-inning relief situations, although newcomers Manny Banuelos and Colin Holderman will probably be utilized too.

Get well soon, Yerry, and we’ll see you in 2023.