It’s been a long, winding road for former Pitt pitcher Isaac Mattson, but he finally made it back to the major leagues.
Mattson — a 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-handed pitcher who played at Pitt in the mid-2010s — made his first MLB start in three years for the Pirates on Friday, throwing two scoreless innings in relief.
Mattson finished the final two innings for the Pirates in an 8-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, throwing 25 pitches and striking out two batters.
Mattson originally starred for Harbor Creek High in Pa., going undrafted in the 2014 MLB Draft, and he decided to spend a few seasons at Pitt. He broke out as a junior, compiling a 2.87 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 31 innings.
The Los Angeles Angels selected Mattson in the 19th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, and he spent a couple of seasons with the team before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2019. He made his MLB debut in 2021, compiling a 6.23 ERA over 4.1 innings in four appearances.
The Orioles released Mattson from the organization in 2022, and he signed with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League. He only spent a year with the organization before he was rereleased, and he signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2023.
Mattson worked his way back to the MLB with the Minnesota Twins in 2023 and signed a minor league contract with the Pirates late last year.
Mattson started 2024 with the Altoona Curve (AA) and was promoted to Indianapolis (AAA) — compiling a 7-2 record with a 3.17 ERA and 89 strikeouts over 71 innings.
