Neal Huntington says Pirates’ Chris Archer will see doctors before next start

Chris Archer is tentatively scheduled to pitch Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, but general manager Neal Huntington said Sunday that may depend on his visit with team doctors.

Archer left the game Friday in Milwaukee after four innings with hip soreness. Huntington said the team would like to get him rest either before or after the All-Star break that starts July 8.

“He’ll see our doctors when we get back to Pittsburgh (after Sunday’s series finale in Milwaukee),” Huntington said on his radio show on KDKA-FM. “We’ll assess him and see his availability for Wednesday.

“We have a chance to get him a good, long down time, if necessary, 10 days to two weeks. Do we do it now or do it on the backside of the All Star break? We’ll see how the assessment goes.”

If Archer doesn’t pitch Wednesday, Huntington said they could turn to Dario Agrazal, who pitched six effective innings last Wednesday in his second major-league start in the Pirates’ 14-2 victory against the Houston Astros. After the game, he was optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis where he could be held out of his next scheduled start so he’d be available to pitch for the Pirates on Wednesday, Huntington said.

“He was not afraid,” Huntington said of Agrazal, 24. “He took that ball against a very good club and put us in a position to win a ball game.

“He knows what he is. He knows he has to keep that sinker down in the zone. He can elevate his four-seamer to expand the zone, top to bottom. He’s going to have to throw that slider to a good spot and he did.

“He’s a guy we’re comfortable can come up here and make major league starts.”