By now, there's no hiding behind the fact that the Pittsburgh Pirates are playing the waiting game with top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler in an effort to protect his rookie eligibility.
A pitcher is considered a rookie until he exceeds 50 innings in the Major Leagues or 45 total days on an active roster during the regular season, according to MLB rules. That means that Chandler, the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, will likely have to wait at least another week before getting his long-awaited call-up to the big leagues.