On Wednesday, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis upon coming off the injured list. The No. 1 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft has been a disappointment this season. Thus far, he’s hit just .153/.267/.235, one home run, five RBI, and a 47 OPS+. Once his rehab assignment is up, he should remain in Indianapolis.
Before joining the 10-injured list on June 15, Davis shared catching duties with Yasmani Grandal. However, Davis’s presence on the roster was more a matter of necessity than merit. He was sent to Indianapolis on May 3 to work on his hitting. The Pirates’ options were limited when catcher Joey Bart went on the IL on May 28. They already had two major league catchers, Endy Rodríguez and Jason Delay, on the IL. In a surprising move, Grant Koch, not Davis, got the call. Koch, a lifetime .202 hitter in the minors, was clearly overmatched in the majors, going 0-for-7 with six strikeouts. This necessitated Davis’s hasty return to Pittsburgh on June 4.
Pirates Should Keep Davis in Triple-A After Rehab Assignment
Bart has been on a rehab assignment since June 21 and should be ready to rejoin the Pirates soon, leaving Davis as the odd man out. When Bart returns, it will be time to designate him as the Pirates’ No. 1 catcher. Bart is hitting .267.362/.517, four home runs, 12 RBI, and 150 OPS+ in 22 games. Besides owning the third-best batting average on the club, he looks like Yogi Berra compared to the Pirates’ other healthy catchers. The Pirates have to be pleased with Bart’s work so far.
Since Davis has been on the IL, the catching position has been manned by Grandal and Delay. Grandal is hitting just .181/.216/.276. The 35-year-old veteran has drawn praise for his game-planning skills and willingness to pass knowledge to the younger catchers. However, after enduring four months of Austin Hedges last season, Pirates fans are weary of hearing that regarding Pirates catchers. After hitting two doubles in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Delay is now 3-for-15. Delay has been up and down from the minors for three years, and he has proven to be a helpful backup catcher, but that’s all he is.
Decisions Looming
At the close of Wednesday’s action, the Pirates find themselves 2 ½ games out of the second wild card in the National League. They have a unique opportunity in front of them. Their top three starting pitchers – Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, and Jared Jones – are the envy of every team in baseball. With anything resembling a major league offense, they would be legitimate contenders.
The Pirates just scored 20 runs in three games in Cincinnati. This was after managing just 13 hits in three home games against the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ve enticed managers with performances like the ones in Cincinnati, only to revert to the team that couldn’t hit against the Rays. Let’s face it: they’re toward the bottom of many offensive National League categories. That’s the type of offense they have, despite occasional spurts.
There’s no argument to be made for sticking with Davis in 2024. True, the Pirates stuck with Rowdy Tellez when he struggled and were rewarded for it. But that was different. It was earlier in the season, and Tellez had a major league track record.
With that in mind, the only choice the Pirates have is to install Bart as their primary catcher while keeping Davis in Indy when his rehab assignment is up. Davis’s status as a No. 1 draft pick shouldn’t enter the equation. Neither should Grandal’s $2.5 million salary. The Pirates must be pleased with what they’ve seen from Bart. How they handle the catching position will say much about how serious they are about contending.
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