Stratton grateful to return from injury, says success 'right around the corner'

PITTSBURGH -- Hunter Stratton admitted that the game sped up on him a bit Tuesday night. He was antsy to be back on PNC Park’s mound, and Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki took advantage by homering in Stratton’s first at-bat back in the Majors.

The outing had some highlights -- most notably getting four whiffs -- but the big takeaway was that he was back in the Majors after suffering a serious injury at this ballpark eight months earlier.

“First one out of the way, keep moving forward,” Stratton said Wednesday. “That's how I'm looking at it."

Stratton emerged as one of the Pirates’ better reliever options last year, pitching to a 3.58 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 33 strikeouts against seven walks across his 37 2/3 innings. That season was cut short when he slid into the limestone facade behind home plate while chasing down a ball in late August, resulting in a patella tendon rupture.

The original prognosis was it would take seven to 10 months for him to return to action. Instead, Stratton continuously hit benchmarks early, which put him in position to pitch in Spring Training and re-earn a roster spot before that original seven-month date.

"I didn't think it would be this quick, but I tried my best to make it this quick, and here we are now,” Stratton said. “I'm really proud of myself for putting in that work. It's all it has been. It's been a lot of work and prayer.”

"Never a doubt in our minds that he was going to exceed expectations,” senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said. “This is one of the hardest working human beings that I've ever had the opportunity to work with. I know it wasn't the performance he wanted, but to see him out on the mound and with that traumatic of an injury, it was rewarding to watch for him, because he put all the work in it.”

Stratton’s first call-up to the Majors this year is probably going to be just a cameo, as the corresponding move for his promotion was Dennis Santana being placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list. With that said, the season is still young, and he should get more opportunities with the Pirates.

There are also some things that popped up in Spring Training that he’s still cleaning up now with Indianapolis. He isn’t quite feeling like the 2024 Hunter Stratton yet, but that pitcher might be right around the corner.

“We're real close,” Stratton said. “Body's feeling good, things are moving the right way. But I'm still searching for what I did last year to have that success here. But I think it's right around the corner."

More injury updates:
• Jared Jones (right UCL sprain) has been cleared to throw and has had two sessions of light catch out to 60 feet. He still has a long journey in front of him -- a current estimate is it will be three or four weeks until he can throw off a slope -- but this is an important first step to getting him back into games.

“It's going to be a collaborative effort, notably with Jared, with our pitching department and our performance team,” Tomczyk said. “[We want him to] continue to be pain free, continue to be fluid, but he missed six weeks, so he's going to need some time to build up.”

• Dauri Moreta (UCL surgery) and Spencer Horwitz (wrist surgery) have both started rehab assignments this week. Moreta has been without issue with Single-A Bradenton, as has Horwitz with Double-A Altoona.

• Nick Gonzales (nondisplaced fracture of left ankle) no longer needs his walking boot, and should be hitting, fielding and throwing soon. The goal for this week is for him to start jogging.

• Endy Rodríguez (right index finger laceration) will continue to do modified baseball activities, but his finger will have to be immobilized another week. He and the Pirates will get another update next Tuesday, which should have a more definitive possible return date.

• Justin Lawrence (right elbow inflammation) is awaiting a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister. Until then, he is not throwing.