The Pirates have promoted top prospect Gerrit Cole from Class AA Altoona to Class AAA Indianapolis, Cory Giger reports.
↵After starting the season with Class A+ Bradenton, Cole pitched 59 innings for the Curve, striking out 60 and walking 23 while impressing observers with his 100 MPH fastball.
↵Altoona won't be in the Eastern League playoffs, while 85-54 Indianapolis easy won the West Division of the International League and is preparing for the postseason, so this promotion is a way of keeping Cole's season going.
↵He also justified it with his performance. When you have a top college talent like Cole, there's no reason to keep him at one level for too long, as long as he continues to perform, and nothing has really stopped him yet.
↵It's unclear when Cole will make his Class AAA debut, but that might be determined, in part, by what happens September 1, when major-league rosters expand and some of Cole's new teammates will likely be promoted to the big leagues. His last start was on Monday.
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