Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals - News - August 21, 2021

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Jordan Hicks - Unlikely to return in 2021Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Sunday that he doesn't expect Hicks (elbow) to return from the 60-day injured list before the end of the season, but t...

ImpactHicks took an important step forward last week in his recovery from the right elbow injury that has kept him on the shelf since the beginning of May, as he was cleared to throw off a mound for the first time in more than four and a half months. Though Hicks finally looks to be progressing after his rehab program stalled out for much of the summer, the Cardinals aren't counting him on providing a late-season boost to the bullpen. If Hicks is able to test out his arm over the winter and avoids any further setbacks, he should head into spring training with few restrictions, if any.

AUGUST 23, 2021•ROTOWIRE

Dakota Hudson - Rehab assignment coming soonCardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Sunday that he expects Hudson (elbow) to begin a minor-league rehab assignment within the next week or so, Jeff Jones...

ImpactHudson looked to have little chance of making an appearance at any level in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery Sept. 28 of last year, but not only is he nearing a return to minor-league action, but the organization is also leaving the door open for him to join the Cardinals next month. Before a rehab assignment is mapped out, Hudson will likely continue to build up the intensity of his live batting practice sessions over the next few days at the Cardinals' training facility in Florida. The 26-year-old doesn't realistically have enough time to get his arm conditioned for a starting role at this stage of the season, so he'll almost certainly be deployed out of the bullpen if the Cardinals bring him back from the 60-day injured list at any point.

AUGUST 23, 2021•ROTOWIRE

Roansy Contreras - Faces hittersPirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Contreras (forearm) recently faced hitters in a live batting practice session, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.

ImpactContreras is scheduled to throw another live BP this week before he's cleared to return to game action. The Pirates could send Contreras out on a brief rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League to have him build up his pitch cont before he returns from the 7-day injured list at Double-A Altoona. Over his nine starts with Altoona prior to being shut down with a right forearm strain, Contreras posted a 2.35 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 65:11 K:BB In 46 innings.

AUGUST 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE

Michael Perez - Another hitless startPerez went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Sunday's 3-0 loss to St. Louis.

ImpactHe's hitless in his last 19 at-bats dating back to Aug. 2. Perez continues to make two or three weekly starts, but he's cooled off since hitting a ninth-inning home run on Aug. 1. Interestingly, 15 of Perez's 23 hits have come in consecutive games, giving him a glimmer of streaming potential on rare occasions. His overall slash line of .153/.230/.347 (prior to Sunday) illustrates his offensive shortcomings, however.

AUGUST 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE

Gregory Polanco - Placed on outright waiversPolanco was placed on outright waivers Sunday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

ImpactPolanco had a career-worst .153 batting average last season, and he struggled to get into a rhythm to begin the 2021 campaign. The 29-year-old hit just .199 with 11 homers, 36 runs, 34 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 102 games this season, and he'll now be available on waivers. Polanco will be eligible to opt for free agency rather than heading to Triple-A Indianapolis if he goes unclaimed on waivers, but he's expected to remain in the organization if another team doesn't claim him, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The Pirates' decision to remove the veteran outfielder from the 40-man roster will allow Hoy Park and Wilmer Difo to see more playing time during the final few weeks of the regular season.

AUGUST 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE

Kevin Newman - Making small offensive stridesNewman went 1-for-3 with a double in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals.

ImpactHis double accounted for the team's lone extra-base hit off of starter Adam Wainwright. Newman is hitting just .228 overall, but he's slashing .321/.339/.571 in his last 59 plate appearances (prior to Sunday). Given the catastrophic offensive first-half performance -- he compiled a .518 OPS in his first 74 games -- the infielder has plenty of incentive to salvage his season. Still, he's hit just four homers and stolen three bases in 423 plate appearances.

AUGUST 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE

Dillon Peters - Stymies Cards for five inningsPeters didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Cardinals after limiting St. Louis to one run over five innings. He scattered three hits and one walk and stru...

ImpactMaking his second start with the Pirates, Peters wasn't overpowering -- he generated only four swings and misses among his 54 strikes -- but he managed the zone well and was mostly able to mitigate the damage of balls in play. With Pirates manager Derek Shelton recently moving Chad Kuhl to the bullpen, Peters looks like he'll have a decent amount of leash as a member of the Pittsburgh rotation. He lines up to make his next start next weekend in a rematch with the Cardinals in Pittsburgh.

AUGUST 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE

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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals - News: Aug 21, 2021

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