Pirates Giving Promising Relief Pitcher Second Chance
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates reunited with a relief pitcher who they recently departed with not too long ago.
The Pirates re-signed right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Harbin to a minor league contract on May 9 and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis on May 10, per the transactions log.
Pittsburgh had previously designated Harbin for assignment on April 29, as they made room for fellow right-handed relief pitcher Chris Devenski on the 40-man roster, and eventually released Harbin on May 1.
Harbin now has another shot with the Pirates and will have to prove why he deserves another shot on the 40-man roster and eventually time in the major leagues.
Why the Pirates Let Go Of Harbin
The Pirates added Harbin to their 40-man roster back in November, as a part of a number of players that they protected from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
Harbin had impressed in 2025 and the Pirates saw him as someone that could eventually make his mark at the major league level this season.
The issue for Harbin was that he got dealt a setback early in Spring Training, suffering an arm injury to his teres major and lat musculature, which makes it painful to throw pitches, especially when the arm is extended above the head, as both of those muscles deal with upwards extension in the arm.
Indianapolis put him on the 60-day injured list on March 18 and he was put on a no throw list, which would've kept him out until early April.
The Pirates had issues with their bullpen late in April and needed anyone to fill a role, meaning that the 10-year veteran in Devenski got the chance to take a 40-man roster spot and they had to place Harbin on waivers.
Why The Pirates Were Bullish on Harbin
Harbin had a solid 2025 season in the minor leagues for the Pirates, pitching at High-A Greensboro, Double-A Altoona and Triple-A.
He posted a 2-2 record in 22 bullpen outings, a 2.37 ERA over 30.1 innings pitched, 46 strikeouts to 23 walks, a .173 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.35 WHIP at Greensboro.
Harbin then kept pitching well with Altoona, posting a 3.66 ERA over 14 outings and 19.2 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts to seven walks, a .227 BAA and a 1.22 WHIP.
He had some struggles at Triple-A later on, allowing six earned runs in back-to-back games that led to a 11.48 ERA, but still had some good moments and ended his year in a much better place than where he started.
Harbin usually throws two pitches in a sinker and a slider, with his slider the dominant pitch that most batters struggled with.
If he can come back healthy soon and start pitching again, Harbin should give himself a shot to make the 40-man roster at some point this season.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.