Endy Rodríguez to Start Rehab Assignment; Examining Pirates’ Catching Depth (+)
PITTSBURGH – It has been nine months since Endy Rodríguez underwent offseason Tommy John surgery and the 24-year-old is about to make his much-anticipated return to the field.
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington revealed in his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan that Rodríguez will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday.
Rodríguez was at PNC Park on Monday and spoke to members of the media about his impending return. As expected, he’s thrilled to be playing in games again.
“I can’t explain,” Rodríguez said when asked how it feels. “Being out all year, working trying to get better and try to get healthier. It makes me feel good. It’s been really good.”
Rodríguez looked poised to be the Pirates’ starting catcher in 2024 after debuting last season but was never given the opportunity due to the significance of the injury.
One of the Pirates’ top prospects at the time of his promotion, Rodríguez played in 57 major-league games last season and hit .220 with a .612 OPS, seven doubles, two triples, three home runs and 13 RBIs. Behind the plate, he had three defensive runs saved.
Missing as much time as he did, Rodríguez says he has an even deeper appreciation for the game of baseball.
“100%, yeah. I think being out all year makes me love the game a little bit more because I’ve been watching and miss the game. Want to help these guys win, for sure.”
Rodríguez will catch, play first base and serve as designated hitter while on his rehab assignment.
Manager Derek Shelton says Rodríguez is still viewed as a catcher primarily, though he cited several reasons as to why the versatility matters.
“The ability to have versatility and play other positions — specifically first — I think is gonna be extremely helpful and it’ll be extremely helpful during his rehab, because he’s probably gonna be really sore after the first day he catches,” he said.
“We have to make sure, because of the at-bats, the fact that he’s able to play different positions is important for us. And then as we move forward, in ’25, ’26, and not just specifically those years, but the ability to bounce around, whether it’s in-game or to keep his bat in the lineup will be important for us.”
Though it makes sense for the Pirates to continue to give Rodríguez every chance possible to stick behind the plate, there are several capable catchers on the 40-man roster.
Early in the season, the Pirates acquired Joey Bart from the San Francisco Giants. The former second-overall pick has had a breakout season and has consistently flashed the potential dating back to his days as a prospect.
In 66 games with the Pirates, Bart is slashing .271/.346/.502 and has career-highs with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. Defensively, he’s provided the Pirates with adequate defense with minus-1 DRS and a .995 fielding percentage.
Bart has split time behind the plate for the majority of the season with the veteran Yasmani Grandal. While Grandal will hit free agency at season’s end, there is another notable player to consider.
The Pirates drafted Henry Davis as a catcher with the first pick in the 2021 draft. While he’s struggled during his brief big-league career, he’s dominated the minor leagues and still possesses some potential.
As of right now, at the very least, the Pirates haven’t given up hope on Davis, who cracked the Pirates’ Opening Day roster out of spring training.
In addition to the aforementioned trio, the Pirates also have Jason Delay on the 40-man roster, even if he doesn’t factor into the equation as much as the others. Delay has played in 134 games over parts of the past three seasons and is revered by Pirates’ pitchers for his defense and game calling.
Though it’s a different situation than it was this time last year, the recurring theme is that the Pirates have a deep catcher’s room.
A lot can happen over the course of an offseason, but with Rodríguez, Bart and Davis all in the equation, the Pirates might need to get creative on how to keep everyone fresh, if they ultimately decide to carry all three catchers when the time comes.
For now, it’s a good problem to have that can be resolved down the road.
“It makes me feel good,” Shelton said on the catching depth. “I think pitching and catching are the two places where you can never have enough depth.”
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