The Pittsburgh Pirates added a fresh arm to their bullpen during their series with the San Diego Padres.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ West Coast road trip has not gone as planned so far, prompting the team to make some roster moves ahead of their Tuesday night matchup against the San Diego Padres.
RHP Noah Murdock Recalled From Triple-A
The Pirates' first roster move was recalling RHP Noah Murdock from Triple-A.
The 28-year-old has appeared in only two games with the Pirates during the 2026 season. The first came on July 30, and the second on August 2. To Murdock’s credit, he hasn’t given up a run in those outings and has allowed three total hits in 3.0 innings.
Murdock does have some more encouraging numbers at Triple-A. The right-hander has pitched in 21 games at Triple-A, and owns a 4.21 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Murdock also has a strikeout rate of 33 percent while limiting plenty of hard contact.
He could be a nice option for the Pirates, depending on the situation.
Jul 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Khristian Curtis (64) delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesKhristian Curtis Optioned To Triple-A
To make room for Murdock on the big-league roster, the Pirates decided to option RHP Khristian Curtis to Triple-A.
Curtis most recently pitched on August 23 against the Dodgers, logging three innings of scoreless relief for the Pirates. Because he threw 41 pitches, there’s a chance he won’t be available for the next few days, and Pittsburgh is simply in a situation where they need more fresh arms in the bullpen.
Like Murdock, Curtis has put together a solid Minor League season, doing a great job missing bats and striking out hitters at an above-average rate.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Curtis back up the Pirates' big-league team later this season if they get into another situation where they need another fresh multi-inning option.
The Pirates' roster moves in the bullpen are far from surprising, and in some ways even expected. Pittsburgh was forced to use more relievers than they initially planned during their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the bullpen in a dire situation.
While Murdock will not be a high-leverage option for the Pirates, he does give them a fresh arm and a multi-inning option Kelly can turn to if someone needs to eat innings.
Now, the only remaining question is whether the Pirates can get through the rest of the road trip without making any more moves.
