Pirates Chris Stewart Injured, Will Tony Sanchez Get His Shot?

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that Chris Stewart will go to see Dr. James Andrews to have a second opinion on his knee.  The Bucs backup catcher injured his knee on March 12.

The big question is will Stewart be required to have surgery on his knee.

The bigger question is will that put Tony Sanchez on the big league roster?

God, we hope so.

In December, the Pirates landed Stewart who is 32 years old from the New York Yankees.  The plan was for Tony Sanchez to play almost every day in Indianapolis while Stewart got the leftovers at the Major League level.  Stewart is well known for his defensive abilities.

Sanchez has answered questions about the move all off season.  The Pirates first rounder was fine with the decision, because Neal Huntington was up front with him about the move.  The team wanted Sanchez to play regularly and focus on the pitching staff at Indianapolis.

The Bucco backstop said he would hit his way out of Indianapolis.  Early in Spring work, Sanchez has been hitting everything in sight.  He’s bigger, stronger and more confident than ever.    The only option would be to try and acquire a catcher in a move should Stewart need surgery, which the club feels is very likely.

The only catchers in camp are Nevin Ashley and Omir Santos, and it seems unlikely the Pirates would want to add either of them to the roster.