Jordan Lyles hopes to validate Pirates' faith in him

Jordan Lyles wasn’t out of work long when he tested the open market after last season.

He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates only six weeks after becoming a free agent, coming to terms on a one-year, $2.05 million contract.

“It was pretty easy to work with Neal (Huntington),” he said. “Everything came together pretty efficiently.”

That contract didn’t automatically put him in the starting rotation. The 28-year-old Lyles competed with less experienced pitchers Steven Brault and Nick Kingham for the No. 5 job in spring training. But the Pirates signed him with the intent of inserting him in the rotation, and Thursday he gets his first chance to validate their faith in him.

He will come off the injured list (right side discomfort) and start the first of the four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.

Catcher Jacob Stallings caught Lyles’ first start in spring training this year, and he liked his menu of pitches.

“He got a good feel for the ball,” Stallings said. “He can throw his fastball at the top of the zone, curveball off of it and mix his two-seam cutter and changeup in. He’s been doing it a long time so he knows how to pitch.”

He also noticed something else that may serve him well with the Pirates.

“He has an even keel demeanor, same guy every day,” Stallings said. “You can’t be up and down.”

The start will be the 116th of a career Lyles launched without any hesitation 11 years ago. He was drafted by the Houston Astros with the 38th overall selection June 5, 2008, signed the same day and graduated from Hartsville (S.C.) High School that night.

Only three years later, he was in the majors and a year after that — in 2012 — he was the youngest starting pitcher in the National League (21).

Later, he went from Colorado to San Diego to Milwaukee. The Brewers claimed him off waivers in August after he was released by the Padres. He finished the season 3-4, with a 4.11 ERA and 1.266 WHIP. For his career, he’s 31-52 with a 5.28 ERA, splitting time between starting rotations and bullpens.

“We like the maturity he’s brought to his game,” said manager Clint Hurdle, noting he recently has made adjustments to his pitching arsenal. “We like the attack patterns that he showed last year.

“We’ve always been an organization that has looked outside the box on people we can bring in at maybe certain different points of their career for us to help them to help us.”

If Francisco Cervell is behind the plate Thursday, Lyles will make another adjustment, this one relatively easy. Cervelli will make all the calls.

“For the most part, I’ve been with younger catchers,” he said. “It was 50-50, their game calling and my game calling. That’s not going to be the case here. “That takes a little pressure off the starting pitcher or any pitcher standing out there. You’re in good hands with him. Those are fewer things you have to focus on.

“It’s a boost of confidence, one less thing you have to worry about.”