Pirates Keeping Faith in Young Catcher Before Phillies Game
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a big series against one of their main rivals and they'll stick by a catcher who could become a solution to one of their main problems.
The Pirates will have Endy Rodríguez start a second straight game at catcher and he will also hit eighth, as they face off against the Philadelphia Phillies in the series opener at PNC Park on May 15.
Rodríguez made his season debut a day prior in the series finale vs. the Colorado Rockies, where he hit a double, a two-run single with the bases-loaded and walked, while catching five different Pirates pitchers in the 7-2 win to win the series at PNC Park.
It was a big game for the Pirates catcher, who is looking to prove he deserves a spot on the Pirates roster moving forward and will have another opportunity vs. the Phillies.
What This Start Means for Rodríguez
Rodríguez worked with a spot start from left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery and three other innings from three different pitchers, while getting five innings from right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski.
He will now work with right-handed starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft, who has gone at least seven innings in his first two starts in May and will require great work from Rodríguez to keep that going.
Rodríguez has missed almost all of the past two seasons with injuries, mostly focused on his right elbow and pain in that region, which is an important part of being a catcher.
He thankfully has had a healthy season so far, where he caught 20 times with Triple-A Indianapolis and has gotten better from behind the plate.
"It’s improved," Rodríguez said on his catching this season. "Arm has been pretty good. Framing has been pretty good. I’ve been blocking more balls consistently and throwing more guys out. It’s been better."
Rodríguez joined the Pirates on May 12 with fellow catcher Joey Bart going on the 10-day injured list with a left foot infection, giving him his first MLB opportunity in almost a year.
The Pirates haven't gotten the desired offensive production from their catcher group, with Davis slashing .151/.263/.256 for an OPS of .519 in 32 games, and Bart hitting .259/.290/.379 for an OPS of .669 in 21 games, with his May helping out his batting average that was below .200 at the end of April.
Rodríguez is a switch-hitter that was once a top prospect in the Pirates farm system and has shown great power and contact as a professional.
It's a great chance for him to show he can produce from the plate and also help a young and impressive Pirates pitching staff keep excelling in 2026.
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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.