Pirates' Endy Rodríguez Suffers Injury Before Mets Game
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have dealt with a slew of injuries this season and they had to deal with another one ahead of their next game.
The Pirates scratched catcher Endy Rodríguez prior to their contest vs. the New York Mets at PNC Park on Aug. 8, previously having him in the lineup and batting sixth.
Rodríguez departed the lineup due to hip discomfort, per the Pirates, who said that the club's medical staff is currently examining him.
The Pirates put Henry Davis in at catcher in place of Rodríguez and batting ninth, with right fielder Ronny Simon moving up to sixth.
Injuries Continue to Hobble Rodríguez
Rodríguez has only just recently come back from injury, as he missed about three weeks and 15 games with a left glute injury.
He suffered in the 12-4 win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 5, leaving in the eighth inning, and came back ahead of the series opener vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park on July 27.
This is thankfully not another right elbow injury, which limited him to 18 contests at the major league level over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Rodríguez has played in 10 games since this most recent injury and been the Pirates best hitter during that time, slashing .286/.324/.457 for an OPS of .781, with 10 hits in 35 at-bats, two home runs, four RBI and four stolen bases.
He hit both home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, with his second home run coming off of left-handed pitcher DL Hall, his first home run off of a southpaw in his career.
The Pirates also had Rodríguez start first base twice and designated hitter for the first time this season and second time in his career, as they tried to keep his bat in the lineup.
He also started at catcher in place of Davis when Paul Skenes took the mound on Aug. 5, ending a streak of 51 starts between the two first overall picks by the Pirates.
Where Do Pirates Go if Rodríguez is Out Long-Term?
The Pirates have both Davis and Rafael Flores Jr. as their available catchers if Rodríguez is out long-term.
Davis has struggled from the plate this season, slashing .170/.268/.315 for an OPS of .583 in 75 games and hasn't improved much over his major league career.
He does provide the Pirates great defense, throwing out baserunners with ease and has also had success calling games.
Flores is still looking to find his footing as a rookie, battting .227/.393/.409 for an OPS of .802 in 11 games.
He can play at both catcher and first base, giving him some versatility, and can really take advantage of a big opportunity here.
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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.