DIVISIONAL OUTLOOK: NL Central—Pitchers ready to return

Pittsburgh Pirates

Jonathan Sanchez (LHP, PIT) pitched himself out of the Pirates rotation. Sanchez was suspended for six games for throwing at the Cardinals' Allen Craig, and he simply didn't pitch well, allowing 18 earned runs in his first 14 innings. On Tuesday, the Pirates designated him for assignment. He was replaced on Wednesday by Jeanmar Gómez (RHP, PIT). Gomez might get one more start, but he is then likely to return to the bullpen, with Francisco Liriano (LHP, PIT) on track to join the rotation on May 10.

LIriano has had trouble finding the plate for the past two seasons, with 5.0 Cmd helping fuel an ERA above 5.00. His PQS-DOM/DIS of 50%/32% last season speaks to his inconsistency. We are projecting a 4.25 ERA for this...

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