PITTSBURGH -- For a few hours on April 22, Steven Brault was bound for Triple-A Indianapolis to be a starting pitcher again. The Pirates optioned him before that night’s game against the D-backs, and Brault was watching on TV when reliever Nick Burdi left the game clutching his right biceps. A few hours later, he got a call that he’d be back in Pittsburgh’s bullpen the next day.

The transition -- and a schedule that involved only four appearances in the Pirates’ first 28 games -- was admittedly “very strange” for Brault. But the left-hander took a step forward on Tuesday as he struck out three over two scoreless innings in the Pirates’ 6-4 win over the Rangers.

“You never want to come up because your friend gets hurt. That’s like the worst thing ever,” Brault said, referring to Burdi’s injury. “It can maybe be something I can roll with and build on, since I have this momentum. Now there’s going to be time for me to get some outings here. I plan on making the most of it.”

Brault’s first appearance of the season came on April 1, when he worked in the 10th and 11th innings of a 6-5 loss to the Cardinals. He didn’t pitch for a week after that, then he didn’t get on the mound in a game again until April 24. He gave up eight runs in 6 2/3 innings over those three appearances, and his standing in the bullpen pecking order was made even clearer when he was briefly optioned.

But Brault worked consistently on his mechanics in the bullpen, throwing off the mound every three days while seeking advice from pitching coaches Ray Searage and Justin Meccage. They’ve encouraged the lefty to stay closed in his delivery and incorporate his whole body in his throwing motion, and they saw some of those changes work out well on Tuesday.

“I’m not a huge guy, so anything I can use to get more [out of my delivery], it’s helpful,” Brault said. “And honestly, when I’m pitching like that, it’s more athletic for me and it’s easier for me to throw strikes.”

Brault’s four-seam fastball touched 95.6 mph on Tuesday, according to Statcast, the third-hardest fastball he has thrown in the Majors. His fastball averaged 93.9 mph, a full 1.3 mph harder than his previous appearance. Manager Clint Hurdle said Brault showed his best fastball “in a while” as he entered the game after Jordan Lyles’ four-inning start. He gave up a single to Shin-Soo Choo but induced an inning-ending double play with a well-located changeup to Elvis Andrus, then he struck out Hunter Pence and Joey Gallo in a perfect sixth inning.

Brault cited the time down and his mechanical work as factors in his best outing of the season. He is also growing comfortable in his current role. Getting ready to pitch in a hurry isn’t an issue, but last season, he went from starting in April to pitching multiple innings in extras in late August with stops in just about every inning in between. This year, his role is more clearly defined as a long reliever who will pitch when the Pirates need someone to cover multiple innings.

“As the season goes on, obviously I’d like to pitch a lot more. But with outings like that, I think they’ll come faster,” Brault said. “Just keep building on it and see what happens.”

Around the horn

• After raising nearly $18,000 last month through his “Assists for Autism” initiative, left fielder Corey Dickerson presented a check to the Autism Speaks foundation before Friday’s game. Dickerson will continue the initiative throughout the season by donating $1,000 for every Pirates outfield assist.

• Catcher Francisco Cervelli, who was hit in the left wrist by a pitch on Tuesday night, returned to the Pirates’ lineup on Friday after sitting out Wednesday’s series finale in Texas.

• The Pirates recalled corner infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna from his rehab assignment, activated him from the 10-day injured list and optioned him back to Triple-A Indianapolis. Osuna went 2-for-8 with a walk and an RBI in two rehab games for Indianapolis.

• Rookie Kevin Newman (lacerated finger) has hit .233/.343/.300 in eight rehab games for Indianapolis. Newman is a natural shortstop who has also spent time at second base over the past year, but the Pirates have had him work in left and center field for the first time during his rehab assignment. Hurdle said Newman is “absolutely” an option to play in the outfield whenever he is activated from the injured list.

“He wouldn’t be playing it down there if it wasn’t,” Hurdle said.