The Pirates claimed left-hander Jack Leathersich off waivers from the Chicago Cubs Monday and optioned him to Class AAA Indianapolis.
The 27-year-old Leathersich pitched in one game in the major leagues this year. He also appeared in the majors in 2015 with the New York Mets, the team that drafted him in the fifth round out of UMass-Lowell in 2011.
Leathersich struck out 72 batters in 441/3 innings with Class AAA Iowa this season. He had a 2.84 ERA in 41 relief appearances.