Luis Ortiz added to Dominican Republic roster in WBC

While Jarlín García will miss this year’s World Baseball Classic due to an arm injury, one Pittsburgh Pirates player was added to the Dominican Republic’s roster in his place. That player is the hard-throwing Luis Ortiz.

Pirates insider John Dreker tweeted the announcement shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday and several outlets, including MLB.com’s Justice delos Santos, confirmed the news early Thursday morning.

Delos Santos emphasized that Ortiz is not García’s “replacement,” but rather he was an addition to the team’s roster.

Ortiz has had a tough road so far this spring, going 0-1 and surrendering five earned runs in three innings pitched. Additionally, opposing hitters have tallied a combined batting average of .529 in that stretch.

The opportunity to pitch in the World Baseball Classic gives Ortiz a unique opportunity to prove that he belongs on the Pirates come Opening Day. Instead of pitching in exhibition games, Pirates manager Derek Shelton and the rest of the coaching staff can see how he fares during competitive play, something that he excelled at last season.

In the same breath, Ortiz won’t have too much of a learning curve due to his in-game experience this spring.

Ortiz joins fellow Pirate Roansy Contreras on the Dominican Republic’s pitching staff. He will throw a bullpen session today then report to Miami to join the rest of the team, that according to delos Santos.