Pirates' curious move -- tell Vogelsong he's pitching, then change mind

Pirates' curious move -- tell Vogelsong he's pitching, then change mind
Eds: INSERTS new grafs 9-10 with Meadows quote, details; picks up 9th graf pvs. 'Vogelsong wasn't ...'
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By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- At least Ryan Vogelsong got some frequent flyer miles.
Vogelsong, one of the Pirates' top pitching prospects, was called Saturday and told to get to Pittsburgh so he could start Sunday against the Cardinals.
But after Vogelsong arrived from Nashville, Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield and manager Lloyd McClendon changed their minds and right-hander Brian Meadows started instead.
The change was made, Littlefield said, about an hour after the team told reporters following St. Louis' 6-0 victory Saturday night that Vogelsong was pitching. The move also affected reliever Pat Mahomes, who was told after pitching three shutout innings Saturday he was being designated for assignment.
However, the Pirates didn't officially make a move with Mahomes, meaning he was technically available to pitch Sunday, though he wasn't used. He is expected to be reassigned Monday, when Josh Fogg comes off the 15-day disabled list to start against the Cubs.
Despite the confusion, the ever-changing thinking -- and, too, the embarrassment for Vogelsong -- Littlefield said there was no subterfuge involved, only a change of heart.
"Rehashing it further, we decided on Meadows," Littlefield said. "It was a tossup. ... There was a feeling he (Meadows) gave us a better chance to win today."
Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Vogelsong, who has waited nearly two years to pitch again in the majors after injuring his elbow in his second start for Pittsburgh in 2001. The key player in the trade that sent Jason Schmidt to the Giants that season, Vogelsong missed most of last season following reconstructive elbow surgery.
Meadows left trailing 6-2 after giving up three-run homers to Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen, but the Pirates rallied to win 8-7. Meadows didn't know until arriving at the ballpark that he was starting.
"It doesn't bother me that much," Meadows said. "I knew I would be the first guy up if we needed someone. I was comfortable with it."
Vogelsong wasn't told Saturday he might not pitch.
"No, he didn't know," Littlefield said. "It's difficult to call someone up with the expectations of pitching and tell them they're going to pitch and say, 'Oh, by the way, you're not going to pitch.' It's better to do it that way than say there's a chance you're not going to pitch."
Vogelsong, who normally would have started Saturday for Nashville, apparently will start Monday -- though he might want to check his cell phone messages before going to the ballpark.