PITTSBURGH — The Pirates have been dealt a tricky blow for the 2024 season, as they introduced on Tuesday that catcher Endy Rodríguez will miss your complete marketing campaign on account of UCL reconstruction surgical procedure on his proper elbow in addition to a restore of his proper flexor tendon.
The Pirates stated in an announcement that Rodríguez’s harm was sustained throughout a Nov. 13 at-bat within the Dominican winter league with Estrellas Orientales. He’s anticipated to return to baseball exercise in 10-12 months.
Rodríguez swung and injured himself in that recreation, then was changed later. He performed once more on Nov. 14, however he was as soon as once more faraway from motion throughout play. On Nov. 23, Estrellas Orientales introduced formally that Rodríguez wouldn’t proceed taking part in for them on the request of the Pirates.
Rodríguez was one in every of two premier catching prospects to reach in Pittsburgh in 2023 alongside Henry Davis. Nevertheless, Rodríguez was extra superior on the defensive facet of the ball, so as soon as Austin Hedges was traded on the Deadline, Rodríguez took nearly all of the reps at catcher whereas Davis performed proper subject.
When the Pirates signed Ali Sánchez to a Main League deal on Dec. 1, it appeared to create a little bit of a logjam provided that the membership had Rodríguez and Jason Delay on the roster. Then, on Dec. 4, issues grew to become even murkier when basic supervisor Ben Cherington stated that Davis would come into Spring Coaching as a catcher. However looking back, given what the membership knew in regards to the extent of Rodríguez’s harm, it was by no means going to be a four-catcher scenario.
Rodríguez entered the Majors final season as a High 100 prospect and the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. His offense waned because the season went on, with him finally recording a .612 OPS in his first huge league motion, however he’s solely 23 years previous and 57 video games into his MLB profession. He was in place to make changes and return stronger in 2024 earlier than the unlucky harm.
Count on Delay to be the favourite for beginning catcher, given his 125 video games behind the plate already with Pittsburgh, but when Davis enters camp markedly improved on the receiving facet, the previous No. 1 total choose might lastly be on his method to proving himself a succesful huge league catcher because the membership had wished all alongside. Sánchez has not performed within the Majors since 2021, so he’s poised to be a depth choice.