The Pittsburgh Pirates called up right-handed prospect Thomas Harrington to make his major league debut on Tuesday against the host Tampa Bay Rays.

Harrington, who will get the start versus the Rays, rated No. 73 among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects (No. 78 by MLB Pipeline).

He recorded a 7-3 record with a 2.61 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 22 combined appearances (21 starts) between Low-A Bradenton, Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2024.

Harrington, 23, was selected by the Pirates with the 36th overall pick of the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft from Campbell.

“Excited for him,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said of Harrington prior to Tuesday’s game. “I mean I think he’s a guy who’s proven and deserved that it’s time for him to get a start. The expectation is for him to just go out and throw strikes, compete.”

Also on Tuesday, the Pirates designated catcher Jason Delay for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster and optioned two-time All-Star right-hander David Bednar to Indianapolis.

Bednar, 30, was off to a rough start this season by going 0-2 with one save and a 27.00 ERA in three appearances.

“It’s a challenging conversation, just No. 1 because of who David is as a person and actually what he’s done over the course of his time with the Pirates,” Shelton said. “But, more importantly, I think it’s important for us. We have to get him right. He’s going to be a big part of our bullpen.

“We see him going down, getting right, coming back and being part of our bullpen. But it’s a challenging conversation, but right now, it’s about making sure we get David Bednar back to the status he was before.”

Bednar has 85 saves for the Pirates, including a career-best 39 in 2023.

Delay, 30, batted .231 with two homers and 35 RBIs in 134 career games with the Pirates.

–Field Level Media