Shelton 'kind of expected' Baldelli's BP prank
When Derek Shelton arrived at Target Field on Monday afternoon, he found a bottle of WhistlePig 12-year-old rye whiskey in the visiting manager’s office. It was a gift from Rod McCormick and the rest of the staff inside the home clubhouse, where Shelton spent the past two years as Minnesota’s bench coach.
When the Pirates took the field for batting practice prior to their 5-4 loss on Monday, Shelton found an entirely different sort of gift from Twins manager Rocco Baldelli playing out on the scoreboard. Baldelli, Shelton’s friend dating back to their time in Tampa Bay 10 years ago, set up a slideshow displaying increasingly ridiculous photos of the Pirates manager.
There was Shelton flat on his back with his legs in the air, apparently having fallen out of a chair. Then flashing peace signs with both hands with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. Later, there were pictures of Shelton posing in his 1992 Oneonta Yankees uniform, wearing a Minnesota Vikings helmet, in the middle of eating and sitting astride a ladder.
The slideshow began during the last 10 minutes of Twins BP and didn’t end until the Pirates were done with their BP. Beforehand, Baldelli distanced himself from the prank by saying, “I’m not sure who’s in charge of that, but we could see some images or something up there that might be fun.” Shelton wasn’t buying it.
“It’s amazing that their manager can claim ignorance on photos that came specifically from his phone, that I know he’s taken,” Shelton said Tuesday morning. “I kind of expected that. It was fun. The fact that there’s no fans in the stands, I think he can get a little more PG-13 than if there’d been people here.
“Yeah, it was very fortunate for our players to be able to see a lot of photos of their manager up on the scoreboard.”
Shelton admitted it was a little strange coming back to Target Field as the visiting manager after sharing both an office and responsibilities with Baldelli last season. But the reunion was made more unusual by the health and safety protocols in place this season. Shelton entered the ballpark a different way and couldn’t spend time in close contact with his former colleagues and players.
“There are a lot of people here that care a lot about him that are still really excited about what’s going on with him and with the Pirates, too,” said Baldelli, who remains in regular contact with Shelton.
“All I can remember is just every day coming to the yard, regardless of the result the day before, he was positive and bringing in plenty of energy,” added Twins outfielder Max Kepler. “That’s missed, but he’s, I’m sure, bringing it to the team he’s with now.”
Around the horn
• Right-hander JT Brubaker will start Thursday’s game against the Twins at PNC Park, Shelton said. That spot in the rotation opened up when Mitch Keller was placed on the 10-day injured list due to left side discomfort. Brubaker, a starter throughout his career, pitched in relief of Keller in each of his first two outings.
Brubaker, 25, has put together five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and only one walk. He worked two innings in his Major League debut and three innings on Sunday, so he is likely stretched out enough to work around four innings in his first big league start on Thursday.
“I don't know [what to expect[, pitch [count]-wise. It’ll probably be something [pitching coach Oscar Marin] and I will talk about. It will not be an extended outing,” Shelton said. “It will probably be a little bit dependent on how he's pitching and how he feels. He’s throwing a side today, so Oscar and I will talk about later.”
• Shelton said the Pirates should have a better feel on Wednesday for when closer Keone Kela might return. Kela, who has been sidelined since the start of camp due to positive COVID-19 tests, has been working out and throwing at PNC Park since clearing the necessary protocol. Kela will have to face live hitters at some point before he’s activated, whether that takes place before a home game or at the club’s alternate training site.
Whenever Kela returns, there will be no closer controversy between him and Nick Burdi.
“Kela will close when he comes back,” Shelton said.
• Shelton said right-hander Chad Kuhl, who left Sunday’s game due to an abrasion to the cuticle of his right index finger, was “still a little bit tender” when he played catch on Monday, but he was scheduled to throw again on Tuesday.
“I don’t think it’s going to be anything serious,” Shelton said.
• Phillip Evans was in the starting lineup Tuesday afternoon, batting second and playing third base, for the eighth time in 11 games this year. Evans reached base safely in each of his first seven starts and hit safely in five of his last six entering Tuesday.