Chapman (finger) struck out two and did not allow a baserunner in a scoreless inning to earn a hold Thursday against the Cubs.
Chapman was removed from Sunday's appearance with a cracked fingernail, but the issue was never expected to require a long-term absence. After beginning the season as the Pirates' primary setup man, Chapman appeared in the seventh inning Thursday while Colin Holderman followed him in the eighth frame.
Pirates' Aroldis Chapman: Dealing with cracked nail
Rotowire
Chapman is dealing with a cracked nail on his throwing hand, MLB.com reports.
The Pirates haven't officially announced whether Chapman is available for games, but he hasn't appeared since Sunday, when the issue developed. He played catch Tuesday and is healing well, so he looks set to avoid a trip to the injured list.
Chapman (0-3) allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks across 0.2 innings to take the loss Sunday against the Cubs.
Chapman entered Sunday's game having turned in five consecutive scoreless appearances, though he had just an 8:5 K:BB in that span. Things fell apart for him in the 10th inning of Sunday's loss, as he allowed a leadoff single and then a solo home run two batters later. For the season, Chapman now has a 4.61 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in 13.2 innings.
