The Pirates are planning to select left-hander Cam Vieaux onto the major league roster, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba is headed to the 60-day injured list after suffering a fracture in his right wrist.
Vieaux was the Bucs’ sixth-round pick back in 2016. The Michigan State product has spent six-plus seasons climbing the minor league ladder and is now in line for his major league debut. The 6’3″ southpaw worked exclusively as a starting pitcher up through 2020, but he split his time a bit more evenly between the rotation and the bullpen last year. Vieaux has pitched in relief this season, tossing 27 2/3 innings over 18 outings with Triple-A Indianapolis. He has an excellent 2.28 ERA, although he’s posted fairly pedestrian strikeout, walk and ground-ball numbers.
Smith-Njigba was just called to make his own big league debut on Monday. He appeared in three games and collected his first hit, a double. Unfortunately, he’ll be shelved for at least the next two months while he recovers from the wrist issue. He’ll collect major league pay and service time for any time spent on the IL.
