Pirates News: Henry Davis to IL, Billy Cook MLB debut, Endy Rodriguez rehab

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Sunday that catcher Henry Davis had been placed on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his left hand – an injury that, according to manager Derek Shelton, has plagued him for a while and limited his ability to swing the bat and practice outside of game action.

Perhaps that explains why Davis is hitting .144 with a .454 OPS in 37 MLB games this season. Since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Aug. 26, Davis went just 2-for-19 at the plate. His last extra-base hit in the big leagues came on June 12, a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, is back on the injured list for the second time this season. He missed time in June due to a concussion, and went back to Triple-A Indianapolis until his recent call-up when catcher Joey Bart went down with a hamstring strain. The Pirates have since activated Bart from the 10-day IL on Sept. 6 and set Davis' 10-day IL stint to be retroactive to Sept. 5.

In more positive injury news, catcher Endy Rodriguez will see minor-league game action this week at Double-A Altoona after previously being fully ruled out for 2024. The 24-year-old, who underwent Tommy John surgery in December, is expected to see most of his playing time at first base and designated hitter, but he'll also accrue some reps behind the plate. Rodriguez isn't expected to see any MLB action before the end of the season, but his recovery timeline puts him in a strong position heading into 2025.

Billy Cook racks up 2 hits, 2 RBI in MLB debut with Pirates

In a corresponding move to Davis' IL designation, the Pirates selected the contract of outfielder/first baseman Billy Cook from Triple-A Indianapolis. Cook, a trade deadline acquisition from the Baltimore Orioles, made his MLB debut Sunday in Pittsburgh's 7-3 win over the Washington Nationals.

Cook made a strong first impression in his first inning of MLB action, leaping into the stands to make a highlight reel play and catch a pop fly to get the second out of the game for Pirates pitcher Jared Jones.

Cook also impressed at the plate, doubling in two runs in his first Major League at-bat in the first inning of Sunday's game. He also picked up another hit, a single, in the bottom of the eighth. His two-hit, two-RBI debut gives him a .500 batting average and a 1.250 OPS to start his Major League career on the right foot.

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