The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Jake Woodford from Triple-A Indianapolis so he can start Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

To make room for Woodford on the active roster, right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 17) with a left oblique strain, effectively ending his season. Nicolas was 2-2 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 52 2/3 innings over 51 appearances this season.

To open a spot on the 40-man roster, the Pirates transferred righty reliever Ben Heller from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

Woodford, 27, is 0-4 with a 6.95 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, 14 strikeouts against four walks and a .275 batting average against in 22 innings over six appearances, including four starts, for the Pirates this season.

In his most recent appearance for the Pirates, Woodford allowed seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in a 10-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 24.

Woodford is 3-5 with a 3.93 ERA in 20 appearances, including 19 starts, in Triple A between Charlotte and Indianapolis this season.

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