BRADENTON, Fla. — As Jared Hughes entered the bullpen Sunday morning, he got an unprecedented question from Chris Stewart.
“Hey, Hughesy,” Stewart yelled. “What’s with just the one ear flap?”
Stewart was referring to the protective helmet Hughes and Mark Melancon tested Sunday in their bullpen sessions. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association continue to research ways to protect pitchers from line drives, and Hughes and Melancon took the newest technology for a spin.
Mark Melancon and Jared Hughes test a protective helmet for pitchers Sunday.
Pirates relievers Jared Hughes and Mark Melancon tested protective helmets for pitchers Sunday.