PITTSBURGH -- In need of a fresh arm out of the bullpen, the Pirates recalled right-hander Nick Tropeano from their alternate training site before Sunday’s series finale against the Brewers at PNC Park.

The Pirates claimed Tropeano off waivers from the Yankees on Aug. 11, but he did not appear in any games with New York this season. To make room for Tropeano on their active roster, the Pirates optioned right-hander Nick Mears to their alternate training site in Altoona, Pa.

“He’s a guy who’s been a reliable starting pitcher, depth starter, can give length,” general manager Ben Cherington said on his weekly KDKA-FM show. “So as we looked at today and then also even just the road trip, wanting to have another guy who could provide some length innings if needed, he’s a guy that’s been a reliable guy able to do that.”

Mears threw 32 pitches in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 12-5 win over Milwaukee, so he would have been unavailable out of the bullpen on Sunday. The Pirates are also without closer Keone Kela, who remains active but unavailable while he’s day to day with right forearm tightness. Pittsburgh’s bullpen has worked 24 innings over the last five games.

The 29-year-old Tropeano was a fifth-round pick by the Astros in the 2011 MLB Draft, and he made his Major League debut for Houston in '14. He established himself as a starter with the Angels, posting a 3.65 ERA in 21 outings from 2015-16 then missed the '17 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Overall, he is 12-14 with a 4.51 ERA in 42 Major League games.

“I think his ability to throw strikes, that’s the most important thing,” manager Derek Shelton said. “I don’t know how quickly, but we think he can give us some length once we get him stretched out a little bit. I think as we’ve talked about, length is extremely important. Those are the things that have stood out.”

If Tropeano gets into a game, he will be the 27th different pitcher used by the Pirates this season. Only the Marlins have used more, with 32. Pittsburgh set a club record last year by using 34 pitchers in one season.

Rehab updates
• Reliever Kyle Crick will face hitters in another live batting practice session on Monday, Shelton said.

Crick, who has been on the 10-day injured list since July 28 due to a right shoulder/lat muscle strain, could join the active roster as early as Wednesday if he continues to progress well through his third live BP session.

“He’s feeling better all the time,” Cherington said on KDKA-FM. “Probably do that tomorrow, he’ll come with the team on the trip, kind of see where he is coming out of that live BP on Tuesday and determine where we go from there.”

• Starter Joe Musgrove is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Monday at PNC Park, Shelton said. Musgrove, who is on the 10-day IL with right triceps inflammation, threw off the mound earlier this homestand.

• Starter Mitch Keller, out since Aug. 2 due to a strained left oblique, is playing catch but not yet throwing off the mound.

“We’re really encouraged by the progress Joe is making,” Cherington said. “We’re very optimistic we’re going to see them both back in the rotation here during the season.”

Around the horn
• Josh Bell was out of the Pirates’ starting lineup on Sunday for just the second time this season. Bell, who went 0-for-5 on Saturday, is hitting just .205/.250/.295 with 29 strikeouts in 96 plate appearances this season. Colin Moran got the start at first base with Gregory Polanco serving as the designated hitter and José Osuna in right field. Kevin Newman, returning to the lineup after a day off on Saturday, took Bell’s No. 3 spot in the order.

• The Pirates are off on Monday, when a handful of pitchers will throw at PNC Park before the whole team travels to Chicago to begin a two-game series against the White Sox. That will begin a stretch of 15 games in 13 days, with a pair of scheduled doubleheaders to make up for previously postponed games. The upcoming trip will take them to Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee before they return home for a homestand against the Cubs and Reds leading up to their next scheduled off-day on Sept. 7.

• Dating back to Spring Training, Shelton has talked about encouraging the Pirates to be aggressive on the bases. Those efforts have produced uneven results so far; Pittsburgh has seven steals, tied for 22nd in the Majors, and has been caught stealing seven times, tied for second-most behind only Kansas City. They have recorded nine outs on baserunning plays, with only six teams having more.

“We are addressing it. It’s something we’re talking about daily,” Shelton said. “A couple times they’ve been bad jumps. We’ve had two missed hit-and-runs, which causes you to have a [baserunner] be caught. But it is something we are addressing and talking about. And it’s something, quite honestly, we have to continue to get better at. It’s something we’ve put a focus on, and we have to make sure we pick the right times and the right situations to go. It’s something that we are focusing on.”

• Cherington said he visited Altoona’s Peoples Natural Gas Field on Saturday night. To illustrate the challenges of creating a game-like feel at alternate training sites, Cherington listed off who was on the field at one point. Prospect Cody Bolton was pitching in front of an infield of third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, shortstop Liover Peguero, second baseman Nick Gonzales and first baseman Mason Martin.

Seems normal, right? They are all among the Pirates’ Top 30 prospects, players important to Pittsburgh’s future. But in right field, Cherington said, was Minor League hitting coach Jon Nunnally. And behind the plate was Jake Mencacci, an intern in the Pirates’ player development department who caught in college.

“I believe that we are getting good development time out of that. Guys are getting better in Altoona,” Cherington said, "but it’s not quite the same.”