Notes: Brault's outlook; Archer feels 'great'

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Steven Brault knows he won’t be ready to pitch by Opening Day, but he’s taking the long view after being shut down due to a left shoulder muscle strain.

The Pirates announced on Monday that Brault will not throw for two weeks before he’s reassessed. Brault and director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk confirmed on Wednesday that Brault strained the same shoulder muscle he did in July, when he was sidelined for a month. Even if he resumes throwing immediately after this two-week rest period, Brault simply won’t have enough time to rebuild his arm strength before Opening Day.

“The math shows probably not, especially if we’re deciding that we are going to take it a little bit slower," Brault said. "Probably not. That’s a bummer. I would much rather be ready for the whole season than those first few weeks. Whatever it takes.”

Brault went on the injured list on July 6 and returned exactly a month later. He said he took only seven or eight days off from throwing after sustaining that injury, which may not have been enough rest, even though he was able to pitch effectively upon his return, including striking out a career-high 10 batters in his final start of the season against the Reds.

“We’re taking it as if maybe we didn’t take enough time to let it heal last year. If we came back too early, it was easy to aggravate,” Brault said. “This time, we’re taking it a little bit slower at the initial outset to make sure it heals first and then attack it.”

Brault said he had been feeling some discomfort in his shoulder for “a little while,” but he’d been able to pitch through it. That changed when he returned for a second inning of work against the Orioles on Friday. At that point, Brault said, “it felt like I was throwing with a wet noodle.”

“It was good the first inning, then between innings, it kind of froze up. When I went back for the second inning, I just didn’t have anything,” Brault said. “That’s when I knew it’d probably be a good idea to come in and get it checked out. Now, we’ll fix it for real this time and then we’ll move on.”

Trainer’s room
• Right-hander Chris Archer (neck tightness) said he felt “great” after throwing a live batting practice session on Monday. He is expected to pitch in a Grapefruit League game soon, though the Pirates haven’t officially scheduled his first start.

• Right-hander Clay Holmes will be in a walking boot for four to six weeks due to a fractured left fibula, Tomczyk said, an injury that Holmes sustained when he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Nelson Cruz. Holmes will be on the injured list to start the season.

“We’re going to look for creative ways to keep the arm going and the rest of the body in shape,” Tomczyk said. “Once that injury is healed, hopefully the rest of the body is in shape -- that’s the goal -- so that the time back will hopefully be reduced.”

• Infielder Erik González said he is feeling “100 percent” and ready to play in games after running the bases earlier this week. That was the last thing between González, who was working his way back from offseason surgery on his left foot, and Spring Training game activity. He should be in the lineup later this week, Tomczyk said.

Pirates agree to terms with pre-arbitration players
The Pirates on Wednesday officially agreed to terms on contracts with 27 pre-arbitration players. That group included 26 players on the 40-man roster, as well as the recently suspended Pablo Reyes, who was designated for assignment in January. Typically, players who sign such deals are paid the league minimum ($563,500) or slightly above that.

The following players who agreed to terms on Wednesday will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time next offseason: Brault, Nick Burdi, Kyle Crick, Colin Moran, José Osuna, Richard Rodríguez, Edgar Santana, Jacob Stallings and Chris Stratton.

According to a source, the Pirates have discussed offering long-term contract extensions to some of their younger players. That’s a standard practice for teams at this time of year, one that previously led the Bucs to deals with Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Josh Harrison, among others. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman mentioned Joe Musgrove, Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman as potential extension targets for Pittsburgh.

Game report
The Pirates split up on Wednesday afternoon and lost both games by identical scores of 9-7. The road squad lost to the Phillies at Spectrum Field, while the other fell to the Braves at LECOM Park.

There were some highlights for the home team, however. Josh Bell, Cole Tucker and Reynolds each hit a two-run homer, the first of the spring for each of them. Moran tripled. Stallings picked up two hits. Gregory Polanco singled and walked in three plate appearances. Tucker looked smooth in his first start of the spring at second base.

Manager Derek Shelton noted that Bell, who has said it takes time to find his timing at the plate, seems to be putting together better at-bats.

“That’s why Spring Training is 35 days long. We’re not really concerned with what his Spring Training stats are in the first 10 days,” Shelton said. “It’s the fact that he’s starting to get his timing back, because it’s more important when we go to Tampa here at the end of the month.”

Right-hander Trevor Williams also made improvements after a pair of four-run outings to begin the spring, holding the Braves to one run on two hits and a walk while striking out three over three innings. Williams effectively used his fastball up in the zone while mixing in his curveball and slider, and he was pleased afterward with his pitch mix.

“Overall, I think it went well,” Williams said. “It’s the point of spring where you’re throwing all your pitches and you’re trying to get them over for strikes, and you’re seeing the action and reaction from hitters -- how they’re taking pitches, how they’re swinging at pitches.”

Up next
Left-hander Derek Holland, who is likely to claim a spot in the Opening Day rotation due to Brault’s injury, will start for the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. ET on Thursday as they head south to play the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Right-hander Chad Kuhl, another rotation candidate, is scheduled to pitch in relief of Holland. Also expected to pitch on Thursday are closer Keone Kela, Crick, Burdi and JT Brubaker. Fans can listen to the game broadcast exclusively on MLB.com.