Pirates designate Wil Crowe for assignment, as reliever was recovering from shoulder injury

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated Wil Crowe for assignment Wednesday, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review. The right-handed reliever was recovering from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for most of the season.

A former second-round pick from South Carolina who was acquired from the Washington Nationals as part of the return in the Josh Bell trade in December 2020, Crowe was 10-21 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 94 games over three seasons for the Pirates.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder led the Pirates with 25 starts in 2021, going 4-8 with a 5.43 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, 109 strikeouts against 55 walks in 116 innings as opponents batted .275 against him.

Crowe was converted to a bullpen role the following season with positive results. He didn’t allow a run in his first six relief appearances, as opponents batted .152 and struck out 16 times against four walks. Crowe led the bullpen in innings (76) and appearances (60), but his ERA ballooned to 6.66 as he allowed 14 walks over his final 24 1/3 innings.

Crowe was 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA in 9 2/3 innings over five appearances this season before going on the injured list with shoulder discomfort in late April. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list, and he spent time working at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., before going on a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Crowe allowed one unearned run on one hit while recording two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings Tuesday in a 7-3 loss at the Iowa Cubs.