Mlodzinski's Struggles: Pirates Pitcher in Hot Seat

0:00It's April 26th. Welcome to MLB News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher, Carmen Modzinski, hit a rough patch on their recent road trim, dropping two starts that tanked his numbers. He gave up five earned runs over four and a third innings against the Texas Rangers on April 21st and a five to one loss, then four earned runs. In three and two thirds innings versus the Milwaukee Brewers on April 26th and a five nothing shut out. That left him with a brutal 10.13 ERA over those outings. Teams came out hot against him, racking up 11 hits on 25 batter balls, pounding every pitch in his arsenal from splitter to sinker and fastball. The real damage hit the third time through the order where he surrendered key runs that flipped the games. Pirates fans and brass are feeling the heat now, since Modzinski was their main guy for that fifth starter spot after shaky spring showings from free. Agent Jose Erquady and rookie Hunter Barco, both stashed in AAA.

1:04Last year he struggled in the role too, going one in four with a 5.67 ERA before a demotion. Early in 2026, he looked sharp with a 1.77 ERA over his first three starts and a relief outing, striking out 20 in. Many point one innings while keeping hitters to a 247 average, but these flops echo old issues with repeat batters. Pirates could shake things up soon with Jared Jones, nearing a return from injury as early as May 25th, sliding right back into the rotation. Modzinski's got a tweak his attack, mixed pitches better through the lineup or his bullpen bound where he thrives, keeping that death chart guessing. For now.