Report: Pirates Recall Former First Overall Pick
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will give one of their top prospects another chance at showing why they were so highly regarded in the first place.
Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported that the Pirates are re-calling catcher Henry Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis.
This move comes after catcher Joey Bart left the game vs. the Cincinnati Reds on April 11 with lower discomfort. Stumpf also reported that a corresponding move is not known yet.
Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Davis will join the team in Cincinnati and that while it is highly likely he is recalled, the decision isn't final, as Pittsburgh waits on the status of catcher Joey Bart.
Davis had some success this season with the Pirates in spring training, slashing .250/.289/.472 for an OPS of .761. He also had hit two home runs, one of only five Pirates players with multiple home runs.
He struggled last season for the Pirates, slashing .162/.280/.206 in 23 games, before they sent him down to Indianapolis on May 3.
Davis would play in six games in June and eight games in late August/early September, but he hit even worse at .111, finishing with a season batting average of .144.
He did hit well with Indianapolis in 2024, slashing .307/.401/.555 in 57 games, with 67 hits, 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 43 RBIs and 23 walks.
The Pirates took Davis first overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Louisville and hit well in the minors, before earning his call-up to the MLB on June 18, 2023.
Pittsburgh currently only has three catchers on their 40-man roster, including Bart, Davis and Endy Rodríguez, who has also played frequently at first base, starting there seven times.
The Pirates designated catcher Jason Delay for assignment and then traded him to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations.
Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton explained before the season why Davis didn't make the Opening Day roster and that they wanted him to earn more at-bats and get more experience.
"Continue to dominate, continue to make adjustments. He has been a really good Triple-A player," Shelton said. "Unfortunately, right now, we're not going to keep three catchers in the big leagues. There is just not enough room for that to happen. There aren't enough at-bats for that to happen. He needs to go down and continue to do what he has done down there."
Davis has played in eight games for Indianapolis this season, slashing .286/.355/.393 for an OPS of .748, with eight hits in 28 at-bats, three doubles, two RBIs and three walks to four strikeouts, plus two stolen bases.
If Bart is out injured, both Rodríguez and Davis will play catcher going forward.
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.