BRADENTON, Fla. -- In a move that narrows the starting-rotation candidates to six what with Ian Snell set to return soon from the World Baseball Classic, the Pirates this morning sent down three-year starter Tom Gorzelanny two days before he was scheduled to start next and optioned 20-year-old Jose Tabata to Class AA Altoona.

Gorzelanny stumbled from a 14-10 record and 3.88 ERA to last year's 6.66 ERA odyssey, which included a demotion to Class AAA Indianapolis -- where he is slated to start this season upon reporting to minor-league camp in Pirate City. He had dropped roughly 20 pounds in the offseason and lowered his spring-training ERA by half a run Sunday, when the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays scratched out two runs without hitting much of any of his pitches hard. His stats for the spring: eight hits, seven earned runs, two homers, five walks, four strikeouts, a .250 batting average and a 7.00 ERA.

He left the clubhouse this morning without comment, though some teammates privately expressed surprise by the timing of the move.

Virgil Vasquez, who yielded six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings to the New York Yankees Tuesday in his second start of spring, apparently remains in contention for one of the remaining two starter's jobs behind ace Paul Maholm, Snell and Zach Duke. The other two pitchers in effect competing with Vasquez are Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Karstens, who likely will slip into the open starting spot Friday against Boston in Fort Myers. Jason Davis ostensibly is considered a starting-rotation candidate, though this former middle reliever hasn't yet started an exhibition and first pitched multiple innings on Sunday, with two.

Snell, whose Puerto Rico team was ousted Tuesday by the U.S., is due to return today or tomorrow.

Tabata went 2-for-4 and scored the Pirates' first run in the glare of the Yankees home ballpark Tuesday. As part of his progress to the majors, he is a prospect whom the Pirates wanted to start the season in Class AA, however briefly, and play more center field -- the position occupied by Nate McLouth and Andrew McCutchen ahead of him in the organization, for now. Tabata batted .407 in 27 at-bats with five RBI -- sixth on the team -- with four doubles, five walks and a stolen base.