Altoona will send out Kyle Nicolas, who arrived in the Jacob Stallings trade. He was hurt at the time of the trade last year so this is his Pirates’ debut. Between two levels last year, Nicolas fanned 136 in 99 innings, so he seems to have good upside. At this point, he’s a fastball/slider guy, so something to watch for will be a third pitch. This one should be on MiLB TV, so it’s recommended viewing even apart from all the prospects in the Altoona lineup.
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
The Triple-A season opened up last night, as the Indianapolis Indians were the only Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate in action until the other three full-season teams begin their schedule on Friday night.