The Pittsburgh Pirates officially placed catcher and first baseman Endy Rodriguez on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a lacerated right index finger.
Rodriguez suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch in the dirt from Paul Skenes while catching during Pittsburgh's 10-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday. His transfer to the IL leaves the Pirates especially thin at both catcher and first base, so it's no wonder that the club's corresponding roster move – recalling right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart from Triple-A Indianapolis – left many scratching their heads.
Shugart threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings during his first stint with the Pirates last weekend before being optioned back to Indianapolis to make room on the active roster for catcher Henry Davis, who is currently the only healthy catcher on the Pirates' active roster.
Pirates’ catcher situation in flux as Endy Rodriguez hits IL, mystery backstop Abrahan Gutierrez appears
The Pirates have yet to add another catcher to their active roster as they await an update on Joey Bart's injury status. Their starting backstop has not officially been placed on the injured list, but he has missed the past four games due to back soreness.
In the meantime, catcher Abrahan Gutierrez has joined the Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis. He has not been added to the roster, but he has a locker at PNC Park and is there as part of the taxi squad.
The Pirates also swung a minor league trade Wednesday to add some more catching depth, acquiring Brett Sullivan from the San Diego Padres in exchange for outfielder Bryce Johnson. Sullivan will head to Triple-A Indianapolis while Gutierrez remains in Pittsburgh for the time being.
What not long ago appeared to be an embarrassment of riches behind the dish is now a major problem area for the Pirates, who traded catcher Jason Delay to the Atlanta Braves earlier this month and could certainly benefit from his services right about now.
It remains to be seen whether Gutierrez will make his MLB debut with Pittsburgh this week, or if Bart's back has fully healed. The Pirates wrap up their four-game series against the Washington Nationals on Thursday before hosting the Cleveland Guardians this weekend at PNC Park.
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