Pirates’ Carmen Mlodzinski returns to Pirates bullpen as Kyle Nicolas heads to minors

The Pirates have made a move in the bullpen, calling up Carmen Mlodzinski from Triple-A Indianapolis and sending down Kyle Nicolas. This was announced on June 11, 2025 and is to help the team’s pitching during a tough season. Fans are hoping Mlodzinski can do well in the big leagues again. The Pirates are struggling in their division and this move shows they want to make their pitching better to win more games.The Pirates brought back Carmen Mlodzinski after he pitched great in Triple-A Indianapolis where he had a 1.15 ERA. In 3 games he allowed 2 runs and 16 strikeouts in 15.2 innings. His good pitching in the minors got him another shot in the majors as a long reliever. Alex Stumpf from MLB.com says Mlodzinski will work with new pitcher Braxton Ashcraft in the bullpen and might start games later. They trust Mlodzinski. Meanwhile, Kyle Nicolas, who didn’t pitch well in the majors is going back to Indianapolis to work on his craft. The Pirates hope Mlodzinski can fix the bullpen which has been a problem this year. He was great as a reliever before with a 2.25 ERA in 2023 so fans think he can be good again.Also Read: "Tried to Cripple Our Studio": Pirate Software fires back on Lyric trying to expose former donor and her alleged agendaCarmen Mlodzinski’s baseball path has had good and tough times, and coming back to the Pirates is a big deal. Picked 31st in the 2020 draft from South Carolina, he started as a pitcher before moving to the bullpen in 2022 with Double-A Altoona. In 2023 he was 3-3 with 34 K’s in 36 IP, and in 2024, he was 5-5 in 40 games. This year, as a starter, he was 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA in 9 games. But he had some good moments like 5.2 IP scoreless against the Atlanta Braves. He’s looked good in Triple-A recently and is ready to help Pittsburgh again. The Pirates think he can do well in the bullpen and maybe start games later. This could be significant for Mlodzinski and the team as they strive to secure more wins.This bullpen change indicates that the Pirates want to improve. With Mlodzinski back, the team hopes his pitching will help them in the National League. Fans will continue to watch to see how this helps the Pirates’ season.