Pirates Catcher Departs Game vs. Diamondbacks
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates lost their starting catcher against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Pirates catcher Joey Bart departed during a warmup with left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz before the bottom of the fifth inning, as he looked nauseous and needed to leave the game.
Joey Bart leaves the game with nausea after taking a ball off his mask earlier... not great. pic.twitter.com/ijlYZRz2vf
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) May 28, 2025
He left the game for Henry Davis, the backup catcher, who hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to the Pirates to 6-2.
Greg Brown, the Pirates play-by-play announcer on SportsNet Pittsburgh, referenced two moments in the bottom of the fourth inning with Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Guerriel Jr.
Guerriel fouled off a ball that hit off of Bart, but also swung and the back of his bat hit Bart on the head, which could signal a concussion, resulting in the nausea he had ahead of the next inning.
Bart has played in 44 games this season, slashing .240/.347/.308 for an OPS of .655, with 35 hits in 146 at-bats, five doubles, one triple, one home run, 11 RBIs and 21 walks to 40 strikeouts.
He has struggled so far in May, with a slash line of .183/.266/.211 for an OPS of .477, with 13 hits in 71 at-bats, two doubles, no triples nor home runs, four RBIs, seven walks to 14 strikeouts.
Bart suffered an injury vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 11, leaving during the second inning with lower back discomfort. He would eventually return to catcher on April 17 vs. the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.
The Pirates will have Davis as their starting catcher in Bart's absence, but don't currently have a backup catcher at the MLB level.
Endy Rodríguez, who is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis, hasn't played with the Pirates since April 14, when he suffered a right index finger laceration and is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster.
Bart came to the Pirates on April 2, 2024, who came in a trade from the San Francisco Giants. He slashed .265/.337/.462 with the Pirates in that season, with 13 home runs for 45 RBIs.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.