The Pirates introduced this night that they’ve positioned catcher Henry Davis on the 7-day concussion IL. Catcher Jason Delay was recalled from the minor leagues to take Davis’s spot on the lively roster. Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette first reported earlier in the present day that Delay was becoming a member of the Pirates in Denver.
Davis, 24, was chosen by the Pirates first general within the 2021 draft. He made his large league debut with Pittsburgh final 12 months however has usually struggled on offense in 91 video games within the majors over the previous two years with a .197/.292/.319 slash line in 357 profession journeys to the plate. These struggles on the plate have been mixed with considerably lackluster marks behind the plate; Davis was really used nearly completely as an outfielder in his first style of massive league motion final 12 months, however an offseason harm to Endy Rodriguez allowed Davis to work his method again into the combination for begins at catcher. In 27 video games on the place this season, Davis has posted -2 Defensive Runs Saved.
The teen nonetheless figured to work in tandem with veteran Yasmani Grandal whereas Joey Bart was on the injured record as a consequence of a thumb concern. These plans had been scuttled, nevertheless, when Davis was struck within the face masks by a foul ball throughout yesterday’s recreation in opposition to the Rockies. Davis went by way of concussion protocol after the sport, and evidently the Pirates had sufficient concern that the felt it greatest to position him on the IL. The seven day injured record for concussions presents groups further flexibility when coping with potential concussions, providing them the chance to shelve a participant for only one week with the intention to decrease the motivation for gamers to attempt to play by way of what may wind up being a harmful head harm.
With Davis now out for no less than the subsequent week, the Pirates will flip to Delay to fill out their catching corps. The 29-year-old was a fourth-round choose by the Pirates again in 2017 and broke into the massive leagues with the membership again in 2022 as the first backup to Roberto Perez, though he shortly stepped into a bigger function when Perez suffered a season-ending harm. Delay remained a key piece of the membership’s catching combine in 2023 alongside Austin Hedges and Rodriguez, providing supplied high quality framing abilities regardless of his lackluster offense (68 wRC+ in 354 journeys to the plate).
Delay discovered himself buried by the acquisitions of Bart and Grandal on the membership’s depth chart headed into the 2024 season and finally appeared in only one recreation this 12 months earlier than struggling a knee harm. Delay finally required surgical procedure again in April and missed six weeks whereas rehabbing the harm, however was reinstated from the 60-day IL earlier this month and has been taking part in on the Triple-A stage whereas awaiting his subsequent alternative since then. That chance has now arrived, and Delay figures to function the backup to Grandal for the massive league membership for no less than the subsequent week, although neither Davis nor Bart have a selected timetable for his or her return to motion.