Pirates starting rotation suffers as lefty Steven Brault shut down for a month

In a blow to the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation, left-handed pitcher Steven Brault is being shut down for a month from throwing because of a “moderate” lat strain.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday morning that Brault could be out for at least 10 weeks before he is ready to return to a starter’s workload in a game, given the buildup requires two weeks for every one week missed.

“This is a rest-and-rehab,” Tomczyk said. “Unfortunately, it requires a significant amount of rest and rehab.”

Brault did not return to the mound after the second inning of Friday’s 11-9 loss to Baltimore, throwing only 33 pitches in his fourth start of spring training. Tomczyk said Brault experienced tightness in his left arm because of a moderate strain of the latissimus dorsi muscle in his back.

“Anytime you lose a starter, especially this close to (the end of) spring training, it can be a little challenging,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “What we’re looking for from all of our guys … is to go out and give us consistent innings.”

In what would have been Brault’s likely next start in the spring rotation, JT Brubaker started Wednesday against Atlanta, and Sean Poppen is scheduled to pitch Thursday against Baltimore. Brubaker said Brault’s injury is a blow to the staff, which has potential starters in Brubaker, Mitch Keller, Tyler Anderson, Chad Kuhl and Trevor Cahill, although Shelton expects the rotation to go deeper this season.

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, just the fact that Brault’s down,” Brubaker said. “He was looking good. He was looking ready for Opening Day and was confident with it. Still, I don’t think many guys are going to worry about it. I think they’re going to try and step up, fulfill the spot, and do the best that they can. It’s a freak accident. It’s out of, really, all of … our control, and we’ve just got to continue to move forward.”

Meanwhile, Tomczyk said Brault can concentrate on strengthening his lower body, watching video of his throwing mechanics and target other body parts the Pirates performance medical staff has identified in physical assessments.

“Steven is going to push the envelope here, but you can’t really push too much physiologically,” Tomczyk said. “We’ll look at every avenue we can to speed up healing, and that begins with the mind and the mindset.”

Brault, 28, won the Steve Blass Award as the Pirates’ top pitcher last season, as voted by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, after going 1-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.195 WHIP over 42 2/3 innings in 10 starts. Brault tossed the team’s only complete game last season, striking out eight and allowing two hits in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 17 at PNC Park.

In five seasons with the Pirates, Brault has split time between the starting rotation and bullpen and has a 12-15 record with a 4.68 ERA and 1.517 WHIP. He has made 45 career starts but never has pitched more than 113 1/3 innings in a season.

Elsewhere, right-handed reliever Blake Cederlind has opted for Tommy John surgery after receiving a second opinion on his ulnar collateral ligament injury from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache of Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. Cederlind will be out 14-16 months.