The right-hander underwent season-ending surgery on his right elbow in early June, so this move was inevitable. It was made on Friday in order to free up a spot for top prospect Nick Gonzales to join the 40-man roster ahead of Friday's series opener against the Marlins.

The writing seemed to be on the wall after Velasquez exited a late-May start due to right elbow discomfort. It's a tough development for the upstart Pirates as the 31-year-old journeyman was excelling this season in his Pittsburgh debut. There will be more details on his status in the near future, but he'll be sidelined until the 2024 campaign.

Velasquez was pulled from Sunday's start after just two innings after experiencing right elbow discomfort. He missed several weeks this season with inflammation in the same elbow. Velasquez told reporters on Sunday that he expects to pitch again this season but will take longer to return from the injured list this time around. Cody Bolton was recalled and will take his place on the active roster.

That's never what you want to hear. Velasquez returned from the injured list on Saturday after missing several weeks due to inflammation in that same elbow. He surrendered four runs on seven hits in his two frames prior to exiting. Velasquez is currently undergoing treatment on it, but it wouldn't be surprising at all to see the right-hander head right back to the injured list. Stay tuned.