The Pirates have taken a hit to their starting pitching depth over the last few weeks. Jameson Taillon -- who was nearing the end of his Tommy John rehab -- will have hernia surgery next week. Casey Sadler went down with a forearm strain. And the Pirates recently lost Clayton Richard to the Cubs, due to a clause in his deal that allowed him to sign elsewhere if a team was willing to put him on their active roster.
This isn't a new trend. It started in Spring Training when Brandon Cumpton went down with Tommy John surgery.