The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that with Ian Snell on 15-day disabled list and John Van Benschoten suffering from shoulder stiffness, Ty Taubenheim is expected to start for the Pirates on Saturday against the Rays' Edwin Jackson.Jimmy Barthmaier was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his major league debut tonight, Ty Taubenheim will make that same trip tomorrow. Taubenheim, a 25-year-old right-hander, is a six-year professional who made 13 appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006-07. In 16 starts for Indianapolis, he is 4-9 with a 4.60 ERA, with his past four starts being his best.

Pirates place Snell on DL with elbow strain

Denny Bautista has joined the Pirates' 25-man roster, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team opened up a spot for him by placing Ian Snell on the 15-day DL.Bautista will be in uniform tonight against the Yankees. He surrendered seven earned runs, 15 hits, and 14 walks over 19 innings with the Tigers this season, and won't hold any fantasy value in traditional mixed leagues while fighting for playing time out of the Pirates' pen.

Ian Snell has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a mild muscle strain in his elbow, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The move makes room for newly acquired reliever Denny Bautista on the 25-man roster.The move is retroactive to Monday, meaning he is eligible to return on July 8.

Ian Snell threw soft toss off flat ground from 60 feet on Wednesday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday. If the session goes favorably, he could be back in action for the Pirates over the weekend.

Snell to throw bullpen session Thursday

Ian Snell was told he could begin throwing within the next two days after tests on Monday cleared the right-hander of any significant injury, this according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It took them about 45 minutes to tell me, and I was freaking out sitting in DeMeo's office," Snell said of team physician, Dr. Patrick DeMeo. "Brad Henderson, our head trainer, came in and told me I was fine. But I still wanted to hear it from the doctor."Snell is nursing elbow soreness and is expected to miss one start.

Snell likely to avoid disabled list

Ian Snell may have his next start skipped, but he is not expected to land on the DL, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Snell has a case of "golfer's elbow" that has him listed as day-to-day. "Probably, he'll only have to miss one start," GM Neal Huntington said. "Hopefully, we can avoid the disabled list."John Van Benschoten likely will be recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Friday in place of the injured Phil Dumatrait, but it's not clear who will start for Snell if he isn't able to go.

Ian Snell's MRI has revealed no structural damage to the ulnar collateral ligament, but he has been diagnosed with "golfers elbow," according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.Treatments sometimes include anti-inflammatory drugs, but more often than not rest and elbow support are the best ways to aid the problem. He is listed as day-to-day. The Pirates have not yet decided whether he will skip his next scheduled start, which would be Friday against the Rays.

Ian Snell's elbow has been bothering him for while, and after suffering through four innings on Sunday he has been scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, according to the Times On Line. “It hurt on every pitch,” he said. “I’ve never had an injury before, never messed up any bones or had surgery. This is all new to me.”Snell has been awful virtually all year, so an injury certainly seems possible. Many of Snell's fastballs on Sunday where in the 89-90 mph range, four to five miles below where he normally resides with the heat. Stay tuned for further updates, but even the best case scenario will likely have him missing his next scheduled start on Friday.

Pirates' Snell to have MRI on elbow

Ian Snell suffered another brutal outing on Sunday as he allowed eight hits, four walks and four runs over just four innings for the Pirates.Snell has been dealing with some tenderness in his throwing arm for a while, but his across the board regression this season hints that the issue may be more than some minor annoyance. With a WHIP approaching 2.00, Snell has been a ratio killer.

Pirates' Snell continues rough patch

Snell effective in second straight start

Snell fans nine but takes the loss

Pirates SP Ian Snell (2-5) lost his fifth consecutive decision as the Cardinals jumped all over him during a 7-4 loss Sunday. Snell would last four-plus innings before a leadoff walk to Albert Pujols got him hooked in the fifth. Snell was tagged for six runs and eight hits. The big outburst came in a five-run second inning. St. Louis sent nine batters to the plate and even opposing pitcher Braden Looper had a RBI single. Snell walked two and struck out three.

Snell continues struggles with loss to Cards