Roberto Perez To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

The Pirates received a tough blow when they announced that Roberto Perez would undergo season-ending surgery on his hamstring. Perez was diagnosed with a hamstring strain after exiting the first game of a double header against the Reds on May 7.

Perez was off to a strong start for the Bucs on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Perez hit .233 with a .333 on-base percentage and a .700 OPS (106 wRC+). He hit two doubles, added a pair of homers and drove in eight runs in 21 games.

Defensively, Perez did a good job handling a largely young staff and displayed why he is a two-time Gold Glove winner. Perez caught 33% of attempted base stealers and was responsible for four defensive runs saved in just 20 games behind the plate.

Perez’s absence has certainly been felt, especially in the lineup as the Pirates have scored just 28 runs in the 11 games since his injury. The catching duties, at least for the foreseeable future, will be handled by Michael Perez and the recently-acquired Tyler Heineman. Michael Perez has shown some power with a pair of homers in eight games, but is only hitting .167. Heineman has yet to appear in a game for the Bucs.

Roberto Perez originally signed a one-year deal with the Pirates this offseason and will be a free agent again at season’s end.