Pittsburgh Pirates catcher and first baseman Endy Rodriguez is officially done for the season after undergoing ulnar nerve transposition surgery, per Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.
Rodríguez had just returned to the Pirates this season for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery during the 2023-24 offseason. He missed the majority of the 2024 campaign while recovering until he appeared in a handful of minor-league games at the end of the season. He had hits in four of his last six games that season, including five hits in his last two.
In 18 games with the Pirates this season, Rodríguez hit .173 with a .496 OPS, four doubles and a pair of RBI. His elbow issues followed him, however, and the Pirates placed him on the 10-day injured list with inflammation on June 7 before transferring him to the 60-day IL six days later.
This marked Rodríguez's second stint on the injured list this season, his first lasting more than a month after he lacerated his right index finger in April. He appeared in just three games for the Pirates after returning from his finger injury but was removed from the third game after seemingly tweaking his elbow when he threw a ball to second base while warming up for the second inning on June 6. He hasn't played since.
Pirates deliver surgery bombshell on Endy Rodríguez during minor injury rehab
The Pirates acquired Rodríguez in a three-way trade with the San Diego Padres and New York Mets in January 2021, and he was considered one of the Pirates’ top prospects instantly upon joining the organization. He peaked as high as No. 23 on Baseball America’s 2023 preseason rankings, but injuries have slowed his development significantly.
In 57 games as a rookie two seasons ago, the switch-hitting Rodríguez slashed .220/.284/.328 with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs and 13 RBI for the Pirates.
Fortunately, Rodríguez's ulnar transposition surgery did not reveal any damage to his surgically repaired UCL. He is expected to recover in time to be a full participant in spring training in 2026.
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