Travel is usually one of the perks of the job in baseball. The team’s traveling party gets to spend three or four days in a city for each series, exploring coffee shops and restaurants and other places that often become part of the routine on the road.

This year, the Pirates aren’t seeing much beyond their own hotel rooms and the ballparks in which they play. And for now, Pittsburgh’s players and coaches are fine with that as they attempt to follow the health-and-safety protocols designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The Pirates eat most of their meals at their hotel, a change for many players who typically enjoy scouting and trying new places across the country. They’re not even visiting each other’s rooms, instead setting up a PlayStation 4 group chat that allows them to talk as they keep themselves occupied until it’s time to head to the ballpark.

“We’re doing the best we can. It’s a lot different. To come to Chicago and not be able to go get a coffee somewhere in the morning is very strange,” said left-hander Steven Brault, who will start Sunday’s series finale at Wrigley Field, live on MLB.TV at 2:20 p.m. ET. “I'd rather do that and play than be able to go places and be at home waiting for next season."

The Pirates have often spoken about focusing on themselves, doing everything they can to stay safe and healthy during the coronavirus pandemic.

So, for the Pirates, that means they have to find a way to adapt and adjust to whatever comes their way. They’ve started wearing N95 masks rather than cloth face coverings. Manager Derek Shelton loathes team meetings, but he’s called several to address health and safety-related concerns, providing players with a forum to ask questions and reminding them to make responsible decisions.

“When you see things happening, we’re making adjustments,” Shelton said Friday. “We’ve had a consistent message with our group about trusting each other. Not that you don’t want to trust other people, but trust the people you’re around and trust the decisions you’re making. That’s been our message, and we’ve continued to hammer it.”

Players have a group text thread that they use to talk about the latest developments and get information from player representative Jameson Taillon. But when they get to the ballpark, whether it’s at PNC Park or on the road, they try to focus on the task at hand.

“At the field, it's amazing how fast you snap back into things. Even though we're wearing masks, you start to forget they're even there,” Brault said. “When you're at the field, it's baseball time. We’re here to play baseball. On the field, it doesn't affect us. It's more at home, when we have the extra time or we're just sitting in a hotel room and are not allowed to walk outside. You’ve got to try to not let it affect you and your on-field performance.”

Around the horn
• Brault is expected to work three innings on Sunday, and he will again be followed by right-hander Chad Kuhl. That piggyback plan worked in the Pirates’ home opener, as the duo combined to pitch 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Pirates will assess those two pitchers as the season goes on, likely adding an inning to their workload each time out. They are coming off injuries -- Brault’s strained left shoulder in Spring Training and Kuhl’s recovery from Tommy John surgery last year -- so health remains the club’s foremost concern for both.

• Corner infielder/outfielder José Osuna, who went 3-for-11 with a homer in his first three games of the season, will likely return to the starting lineup on Sunday against left-hander Jon Lester. Osuna has not played since Monday, but Shelton reiterated on Saturday that “everything’s good with him.” Osuna was preparing to pinch-hit during Friday’s 6-3 loss at Wrigley Field, if needed.

• Shelton began his pregame press conference on Saturday afternoon by wishing the Pittsburgh Penguins good luck as they started their best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifier series against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

“I think the one thing I found out when I came to Pittsburgh is it’s black and gold throughout,” Shelton said. “So I’m going to rock some Penguins gear today.”

• Right-hander Quinn Priester, the Pirates’ first-round Draft pick in 2019, watched Friday’s game from a distance. Priester and his mother sat in the rooftop seats across the street from Wrigley Field, with Priester wearing his No. 19 Pittsburgh jersey and a Pirates mask. Priester, who grew up in Cary, Ill., even called into the AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh telecast during the game.