Pirates Catcher Finally Starts Rehab Assignment
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a few players go on the injured list, but one player is making his way back towards eventually returning this season.
Pirates catcher Joey Bart began his rehab assingment with Single-A Bradenton on June 10, starting in their game against Tampa (New York Yankees) at LECOM Park, while batting second.
Bart walked in his first at-bat in the first inning and later scored off a single from designated hitter Edgleen Perez to make it a 1-0 game, then struck out in his second at-bat in the third inning.
Thunderstorms sent the game into a rain delay and then eventually suspended it, so the game went no further than the fourth inning, but it was still a big moment for Bart regardless.
Bart's Injury Recovery So Far
The Pirates placed Bart on the 10-day injured list on May 12, retroactive to May 10, with a left foot infection that he discovered during the series vs. the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Bart hasn't played since then, with Endy Rodríguez coming up in his place, and needed great patience, before officially getting back to full baseball activities.
The Pirates made sure that Bart wrapped up his left foot and prevented anything, whether dirt or sweat, from getting near his foot, as it could cause a reinfection and set him back even further.
Bart had a cast on his left foot, but eventually began weight room activities and started light catch by May 29, per Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk.
He resumed all baseball activities, per Tomcyzk's latest update on June 9, and he was scheduled for a rehab assignment starting this week, which he also began.
What the Pirates Will Want From Bart During His Rehab Assignment
This won't be a week-long rehab assignment frorm Bart, as the Pirates will want to build him back up to full strength before he makes his return to the major leagues.
Bart missed a lot of time out from playing or doing much exercise at all, which required him to sit out and not participate in the normal, every day training and workouts that he usually does.
It's a unfortunate injury for Bart and one that came at a time where he was just starting to figure things out at the plate.
Bart had an excellent showing in May before going on the injured list, slashing .412/.412/.588 for an OPS of 1.000, with 10 hits in 17 at-bats.
He had a solo home run in the 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 7 and then tied his career-high with four hits and added two RBI in his last game with the Pirates, a 13-3 win over the Giants on May 9.
The Pirates will want Bart to show off his bat, perform his catching duties as he normally would and have his chance for reinfection go to zero.
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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.