Pirates Announce Roster Move Ahead of Pitching Prospect’s Return
The Pittsburgh Pirates have made a roster move with one of their young pitching prospects. Right-hander Mike Burrows was returned to Triple-A Indianapolis after being on the major league roster for just a few days. His return to the Minors comes as the Pirates activated right-handed reliever Colin Holderman from the 15-day injured list, ending his rehab assignment. Holderman's return also strengthens the bullpen, and Burrows, not appearing in his brief call-up, will continue to grow at Indianapolis. Burrows is far from the first name to be shifted around since the start of the season, joining the call-up of 25-year-old Henry Davis, the early-season demotion of David Bednar, and a flurry of other decisions.
Burrows, who hails from Waterford, Connecticut, excelled at Waterford High School. In his 2018 senior season, he was perfect at 6-0 with a minuscule 0.38 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 44 innings. He committed to playing at UConn but instead opted to sign with the Pirates after being selected by them in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He was given a signing bonus of $500,000 and began his pro career with the Gulf Coast League Pirates, where he posted a 0.00 ERA in 14 innings during his initial season.
Burrows worked in 2019 for the West Virginia Black Bears of the Low-A New York-Penn League, pitching in 11 games. He was 2-3 with a 4.33 ERA, posting 43 strikeouts and 20 walks over 43.2 innings. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the 2020 minor league season, but Burrows again worked in 2021 for High-A Greensboro. He tossed quality numbers with a 2.20 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and a.143 opposing batting average over 49 innings. He began his 2022 campaign at Double-A Altoona and performed well there before being pushed mid-season up to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Burrows' run was cut short in 2023 when he ruptured his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery on April 26th, finishing his season. He came back to the mound in mid-2024, working his way back gradually with rehab appearances before coming back to Indianapolis late in July. In 10 games for Indianapolis last season, he had a 4.06 ERA and 45 strikeouts. He started 2025 with a 4.30 ERA in four starts. Burrows was brought back on April 24th but did not appear in a game before being optioned back down. With Colin Holderman returning to the bullpen, Burrows will look to continue to develop his skills in Triple-A, waiting for his next opportunity at the big league level.
