Bubba Chandler News: Pitching behind Ashcraft on Friday

Pirates manager Don Kelly confirmed that Chandler will be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday and will be available in a bulk role in the bullpen behind starter Braxton Ashcraft, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Kelly didn't go into specifics regarding what the extent of Chandler's workload might look like if he makes his big-league debut Friday, as his usage may hinge on how deep into the game Ashcraft is able to work after covering an MLB season-high five innings last Friday versus the Cubs. Ashcraft will be making his third straight turn through the rotation after getting his feet wet as a reliever in 16 of his first 17 big-league outings, and Kelly suggested that Chandler could follow a similar path that may eventually culminate in the top prospect getting starts before the end of the season. Chandler had been working exclusively out of the rotation at Triple-A and struck out 121 batters over 100 innings, but a bloated 12 percent walk rate played a large part in his elevated 1.48 WHIP. The Pirates are hopeful that pitching out of the bullpen initially could take some pressure off the 23-year-old and help him harness his command, but wringing fantasy value from him -- even as a streaming option -- could prove to be difficult if he follows an unpredictable pitching schedule.