PITTSBURGH -- With the Pirates and Rockies unable to agree on a makeup date for Sunday's rainout at PNC Park, Major League Baseball intervened and set up Monday afternoon's game, manager Clint Hurdle said.
So the two clubs returned to PNC Park on Monday morning, even though doing so resulted in the Pirates playing on 31 straight days and the Rockies 27. The Bucs' next off-day is June 13, as their next originally scheduled off-day -- June 9 -- is being used for a makeup game at Coors Field.
Article V, Section C, Paragraph 12 states that no club can play more than 20 consecutive days without an off-day, unless: "(a) the open date is a road off-day for the visiting Club, and (b) the rescheduling does not result in the home team playing more than 24 consecutive dates without an open day."
The CBA allows players to waive those restrictions, as they did Monday, so long as a majority of players from both teams vote to do so.
Typically, the clubs' representatives to the Major League Baseball Players Association meet to discuss when a postponed game should be made up. In this case, the two sides couldn't reach a decision regarding a future date that worked out for both parties.
"There were two dates that were thrown out. They liked one; we didn't like it. Our guys liked one; they didn't like it," Hurdle said. "When you can't agree, it goes back to Major League Baseball and they make the decision."
Rotation on turn
Juan Nicasio pitched one inning Sunday, but the Pirates will not try to slot him back into the rotation before his next regularly-scheduled turn. Even though the skip was unintentional, Hurdle said it may be beneficial for Nicasio.
As a reliever for the Dodgers, Nicasio threw 58 1/3 innings last year. Already this season, he has worked 42 1/3 innings.
"To think he can go back two years ago [when he was a starter] and grab those innings and have that endurance at this time, no," Hurdle said. "We're actually helping him build his endurance right now through the first six, seven weeks of the season into being a starter, being in the rotation, being on time, making each and every start.
"We are definitely mindful of the pitches and the innings, and we'll continue to be mindful of it moving forward."
Still a day off
Jung Ho Kang and Jordy Mercer were out of the lineup Sunday, and they remained on the bench to start Monday's game. Both will return to the lineup Tuesday against the D-backs.
"That speaks to the depth of the team we have," Hurdle said. "I think that is part of that challenge or opportunity that you have to give guys appropriate rest, mentally and physically."