PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates may be looking toward next year as a result of their brutal second-half slump, but that doesn’t mean they’re due for a full youth movement at the Major League level over the next two months.

The main reason? Most of the current roster is under club control next year and beyond, so the Pirates need to evaluate what they have. But a handful of prospects in Triple-A Indianapolis will make their way up (or back up) down the stretch, general manager Neal Huntington said before Sunday’s series finale against the Mets.

“We have some other guys who will come up when they’re ready,” Huntington said. “That’s the challenge: It’s never good to bring a player up before you feel he’s ready. They need to be ready to take that next step. As we have those guys, we’ll look forward to doing that.”

Foremost among those players is Mitch Keller, the Pirates’ top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, who made his Major League debut earlier this season. Keller’s first look in the Majors didn’t go all that well, as he gave up 16 runs (14 earned) on 21 hits in 12 innings over three starts between May 27-June 18.

Since returning to Triple-A, Keller has posted a 4.14 ERA while striking out 49 batters in 45 2/3 innings over eight starts. Last time out, he cruised through five innings before giving up four runs in his sixth and final frame. Still, the 23-year-old right-hander struck out 12 and only walked one.

When will it be time to see him again? Huntington preached patience, noting that the Pirates’ rotation is about to be full with Steven Brault coming off the injured list to join Joe Musgrove, Dario Agrazal, Trevor Williams and Chris Archer.

“As much as anything else, it’s about opportunity. With what Brault and Agrazal have done, it’s tough to move them out with the way they’ve pitched,” Huntington said. “With Mitch, it’s just continuing to refine the things that are going to allow him to be successful up here. You run down the laundry list like you do with every young pitcher. This is the same.”

After the Trade Deadline, Huntington mentioned the possibility of implementing a six-man rotation, which would make room for a prospect like Keller. Is that still on the table? The schedule is not particularly conducive to that strategy right now, as the Pirates have three off-days over the next three weeks. It might make sense during the stretch after that, however, when they play 17 straight games from Aug. 16-Sept. 1.

“The challenge is most starting pitchers like their five-day routine,” Huntington said. “All of a sudden you’re starting to ask guys to go on seven days instead of six days, which is already uncomfortable. They prefer to go on five. … That could be a consideration at that point in time, depending on how things come together.”

Around the horn

• Like manager Clint Hurdle, Huntington thought the nearly two years Jung Ho Kang spent away from the Majors affected his offensive ability when he returned on a regular basis this season. The Pirates designated Kang for assignment on Friday and are currently waiting to see if he’s claimed on waivers.

“He had a hard time catching velocity, a hard time catching spin. When he did, he hit it hard and he hit it far. He just didn’t do it frequently enough,” Huntington said. “We told him on his way out the door that, the work he put in off the field, you wished it had paid off for him on the field. If he ends up going to Triple-A with somebody to get some consistent at-bats, it wouldn’t shock us to have him turn a corner.

“We’ve got Ke’Bryan Hayes and Cole Tucker, so it’s tough to say we’re going to have consistent at-bats for him in the Minor Leagues. This is one we felt it was time to see if there was an opportunity prior to the Trade Deadline if we could trade him or place him. We couldn’t.”

• Huntington said catcher Francisco Cervelli, who is still on the comeback trail following a concussion, is working out “to put himself in position to be ready if and when we get the authorization” for Cervelli to play in games. Cervelli, a free agent at the end of the season, is taking part in catching activities but not yet catching live pitching.

• Pitching prospect Cody Ponce, acquired in exchange for starter Jordan Lyles last week, wants to be a starter after pitching in relief this season. Huntington said the Pirates will revisit the idea this offseason and next spring, but such a transition would be hard to make in August.