Roster Moves: Pittsburgh Pirates call up Chris Volstad

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday that they’ve called up right-hander Chris Volstad from AAA Indianapolis. Despite being a starter in the minors, it appears Volstad will join the Pirates’ bullpen.

It’s been a rough road back to the majors for Volstad, who hasn’t seen big-league action since 2013 during his time with the Colorado Rockies. The 28-year-old has made stops in the Angels’ system, Korea, and now the Pirates’ system. Volstad will join the Pirates after posting a solid 3.43 ERA in 76 innings for Indianapolis, regaining the ground ball-generating ability that once landed him on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list for three straight seasons. The righty gave up just two home runs (0.2 HR/9), a huge improvement from the seven he gave up in 39.1 innings in the Angels’ minor-league system early last season.

While Volstad will have to continue to perform if he wants to solidify his big-league comeback, he’s positioned for success as he’ll likely be used in low-leverage situations early on.

Next: Jason Hayward Turning Things Around With Cardinals

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