Sporting News staff reports
Brad Lincoln, the Pirates’ top pitching prospect, is "definitely a candidate" to make his major league debut in this week’s three-game series at Washington, but it apparently won’t come in a head-to-head rookie showdown with the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg.
Strasburg is scheduled to work Tuesday against Pittsburgh’s Jeff Karstens. Lincoln, who is 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 55 strikeouts at Triple-A Indianapolis, could start on Wednesday.
A Lincoln-Strasburg matchup might have generated extra interest, which already is off the charts with Strasburg. But Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said management’s preference was to have the veteran Karstens matched against the touted prospect.
"It would be awesome," Lincoln told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, referring to his big league debut. "I’ve worked really hard to get to this point, and I’d be thrilled if they brought me up. I’ll be ready."
Sporting News staff reports
Brad Lincoln, the Pirates’ top pitching prospect, is "definitely a candidate" to make his major league debut in this week’s three-game series at Washington, but it apparently won’t come in a head-to-head rookie showdown with the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg.
Strasburg is scheduled to work Tuesday against Pittsburgh’s Jeff Karstens. Lincoln, who is 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 55 strikeouts at Triple-A Indianapolis, could start on Wednesday.
A Lincoln-Strasburg matchup might have generated extra interest, which already is off the charts with Strasburg. But Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said management’s preference was to have the veteran Karstens matched against the touted prospect.
"It would be awesome," Lincoln told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, referring to his big league debut. "I’ve worked really hard to get to this point, and I’d be thrilled if they brought me up. I’ll be ready."