Niese has been moved to a role coming out of the Pirates' bullpen, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Niese's difficult first half of the season, including a brutal last six starts in which he recorded a 7.92 ERA and a WHIP just under 2.00, ultimately cost him his spot in the rotation. He'll now be used as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen, but his experience as a starter could lead to him being used as an innings-eater when the starter fails to make it deep into a game.