Brault Set to Make First Rehab Start With Indy Tonight

INDIANAPOLIS – Today the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that left-hander Steven Brault had his rehab assignment transferred to Indianapolis and will start Game 1 of a doubleheader tonight vs. Omaha. He is the seventh MLB rehabber and fourth pitcher to join Indianapolis’ roster this season, following infielders Ke’Bryan Hayes, Colin Moran and Phillip Evans, and pitchers Chad Kuhl, Austin Davis and Luis Oviedo.

Brault, 29, began his rehab assignment on July 11 with Single-A Bradenton. He made one start with the Marauders and allowed just three baserunners – two on walks – with three strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings. Twenty-five of his 39 pitches thrown were strikes.

The rehab outing with Bradenton is his only official appearance of the season after beginning the 2021 campaign on the 60-day injured list with a left lat strain. In 2020, Brault made 11 appearances (10 starts) with Pittsburgh and went 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA (16er/42.2ip) and 38 strikeouts.

Tonight’s start will be Brault’s first with Indianapolis since Aug. 1, 2019, a rehab assignment at Toledo, and his first appearance at Victory Field since Aug. 11, 2018. In 43 career appearances (36 starts) with Indianapolis since 2016, he has gone 12-13 with a 2.73 ERA (61er/201.0ip) and 199 strikeouts. In 21 games (20 starts) with the Indians in 2017, he compiled a league-best 1.94 ERA (26er/120.1ip) to be named the International League Most Valuable Pitcher.

Brault was selected by Baltimore in the 11th round (339th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. He was traded to Pittsburgh on Feb. 20, 2015 as the player to be named in an earlier trade.

Indianapolis’ MLB rehab assignments are presented by Franciscan Health