The Pittsburgh Pirates have removed David Bednar from his closer role, as announced by manager Derek Shelton on Friday, according to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf.
“Derek Shelton says David Bednar will be removed from the closer’s role for the short term,” per Stumpf’s X, formerly Twitter. “Pirates will be doing closer by committee.”
Shelton made the announcement before the Pirates’ 10-8 defeat to the Cleveland Guardians. The loss marked Pittsburgh’s fourth consecutive defeat, with the team’s pitching struggling to a 12.75 ERA during this stretch, including an 18-8 rout by the Chicago Cubs and allowing 36 runs in total.
The bullpen has been particularly problematic, with a 4.6 ERA, the fourth-highest in MLB. This poor performance includes Bednar’s blown save in a 14-10 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday, where he allowed five runs in just 2/3 of an inning. The Pirates have now recorded 26 blown saves, tied for the most in the National League.
After starting the season strong with a 9-3 record in their first 12 games and maintaining a winning record (55-52) while still contending for the NL Wild Card, the Pirates have collapsed since the All-Star break. They have lost 24 of their last 38 games, including a staggering 10-game losing streak since July 19.
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