Pirates designate pitcher Jeff Locke for assignment

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Pirates are done waiting to see if pitcher Jeff Locke can return to the form that made him an All-Star in 2013.

The Pirates designated Locke for assignment on Tuesday to make room on the 40-man roster for minor league pitcher Lisalverto Bonilla.

The 29-year-old Locke was an unlikely All-Star in 2013 when he began the season 9-2 with a 2.11 ERA. He struggled during the second half and proved only sporadically effective while serving as the fifth starter. His ERA ballooned all the way to a career-worst 5.44 in 2016, when he went 9-8 and spent the last few months working primarily out of the bullpen.

Bonilla, 26, appeared in five games for the Texas Rangers in 2014. He spent 2016 with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization working both as a starter and a reliever.