The Pittsburgh Pirates are trimming the roster down for the final four games of 2026, and Khristian Curtis is the latest young arm headed out.
The club optioned the right-hander to the Rookie-Level Florida Complex League Pirates on Sept. 24, before the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.
In the corresponding move, Pittsburgh recalled left-hander Evan Sisk from Triple-A Indianapolis, and he’ll remain with the team through the season’s final series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park from Sept. 25-27.
Curtis’ time in Pittsburgh ends with plenty of encouragement for what comes next. In six appearances for the Pirates this year, he went 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA across 21.0 innings, striking out 13 and walking 12. He also finished with a .205 BAA and a 1.29 WHIP.
His debut stood out immediately. On July 18, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, Curtis worked five scoreless innings, allowed just two hits and two walks, and struck out five.
Pittsburgh later sent him back to Triple-A, then brought him back in late August. On Aug. 23 at Dodger Stadium, he threw three scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers and issued only one walk.
Curtis returned again on Sept. 3 and stayed on the major league roster for three weeks. Over that stretch, he logged three innings against the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park on Sept. 3, three innings against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sept.
11, 3.1 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sept. 17 and 3.2 innings against the Cardinals on Sept. 23.
The roughest night came against the Cubs, when he gave up six runs and a two-run home run in a 12-2 loss. For September, he posted a 7.62 ERA in 13.0 innings, with nine walks, eight strikeouts, a .265 BAA and a 1.69 WHIP.
For Curtis, the season was also the payoff after a long climb. Pittsburgh selected him in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Arizona State, and he began 2026 at Double-A Altoona. He made 12 starts there, then pitched for Indianapolis in five starts across 10 games before getting his chance with the Pirates.
“It’s been a great opportunity,” Curtis said on his time with the Pirates. “I’m very blessed to get another opportunity here in the big leagues. Just trying to take it day by day.
“Today left a bad taste in my mouth; what I left out there. Knew that it could have been a lot different.
Just have to take it with a grain of salt, move on. The next opportunity you get is the most important one.
Just keep going out there and try to get better every day.”
Pittsburgh is out of the postseason picture this year, but the club expects a group that is set to return almost entirely to be in position for a better run in 2027.
Curtis could be part of that picture. He’ll be in the mix for innings on a strong staff and may end up in a long-relief role or even make some starts next season, though he’ll still have to earn that opportunity.
“I want to pitch meaningful innings next year, too,” Curtis said. “I want to contribute.
Obviously, the postseason is where we want to be, to keep playing. Getting the opportunity to be up here and throw some meaningful innings this year has been awesome.
Looking forward to some more”
In Other News...
Pirates Still Have One Frustrating Offensive Problem To Solve
The Pirates five-game winning streak ended with a 5-1 loss to the Cardinals, and the defeat served as another reminder of the same issue that has followed them for much of the season: what happens when a left-hander is on the mound. Pittsburgh finished 18-33 against left-handed pitching, and its overall numbers in those matchups sat at the bottom of the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
That split stands out even on a club that did set franchise records in other offensive categories this year, which makes the problem feel all the more frustrating. Manager Don Kelly acknowledged the challenge against lefties and pointed to a mix of individual performances and injuries that affected the lineup, but it remains the kind of weakness that can undo a good stretch fast if it is not addressed going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Paul Skenes Gave Pirates Fans One Last Ace Moment To Remember
Paul Skenes closed out his 2026 season with the kind of outing Pirates fans have come to expect from him, even in a year that tested the limits of the win-loss column. Against the St. Louis Cardinals, he worked 6 1/3 innings, allowed three hits and one earned run, walked two and struck out eight, giving Pittsburgh one more reminder of why every start from him still feels like an event.
The night also carried a clean final marker for his season, as Skenes reached 200 strikeouts before the year was done. He wrapped up with a 10-11 record, a 3.82 ERA and 200 strikeouts across 174 1/3 innings, numbers that reflect both how often he gave the Pirates a chance and how much more his stuff continued to play over a full season. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Bullpen Overhaul Leaves One Big 2027 Question
The Pirates kept turning over the back end of their bullpen this week, and Camilo Doval was the clearest casualty of the reset. After his struggles and with a projected arbitration salary for 2027 looming, Pittsburgh designated the right-hander for assignment, a move that fits the clubs push to rework a relief group that has been one of its most fluid areas all season. The emphasis now is on younger arms, with Yohan Ramrez, Carmen Mlodzinski and Mason Montgomery all in line to get more of the late-inning responsibility.
Montgomery has already taken over the closer role, giving the Pirates at least one defined answer in a bullpen that is otherwise headed for more change. Gregory Soto and Kirby Yates are set to reach free agency, while Luke Weaver remains under contract with part of his salary still being paid by his former team. Even after this round of moves, the bigger question for Pittsburgh is how much of the 2027 relief picture is already taking shape, and how much of it is still to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]