Pirates give starters a rest, recall Clay Holmes from Indianapolis

Mindful of the past and future workload of their starting pitchers, the Pirates recalled rookie Clay Holmes from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday to pitch the second game of a four-game series in San Francisco against the Giants.

Joe Musgrove (4-6, 3.41), who had shoulder discomfort in the spring, has worked 29 innings in his past four starts while striking out a total of 11 batters. In his most recent start Monday against the Colorado Rockies, he pitched well in a 2-0 loss, allowing only four hits, two runs (one earned) and no walks over seven innings and 87 pitches.

His strikeout total has declined from nine in a loss to the Washington Nationals on July 10 to 11 in his next four starts.

Jameson Taillon (9-8, 3.61) threw a complete game (107 pitches) Tuesday in Colorado. It was his first nine-inning effort since April 8 and only the second in his three-year career. He will next pitch on six days rest Tuesday in Minnesota, followed by Chris Archer on Wednesday.

Trevor Williams and Musgrove will pitch Saturday and Sunday against the Giants.

Holmes, 25, has spent most of the season in Triple-A Indianapolis where he has won seven of 10 decisions, with a 3.43 ERA. In five starts with the Pirates, he is 1-1, with a 3.65 ERA. In his most recent major-league outing on July 14, he shut out the Milwaukee Brewers through six innings, allowing four hits and striking out six.

There’s a good chance Holmes will be returned to Indianapolis after the game, but he is expected to pitch again for the Pirates in September. To make room for Holmes, the Pirates optioned Dovydas Neverauskas to Indianapolis.

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.