The Pittsburgh Pirates announced they have reinstated catcher Joey Bart from the injured list. They have designated veteran outfielder Billy McKinney for assignment to make room for Bart on the active roster.
We have reinstated C Joey Bart from the 10-day injured list. OF Billy McKinney has been designated for assignment.
There are 38 players on our 40-man roster.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 6, 2024
Pirates Reinstate Bart from Injured List, Designate McKinney for Assignment
Bart had gone on the injured list on August 25 with a left hamstring strain. It was his second stint on the injured list this season. At the time, he was hitting .272/.347.497 with 12 HR, 39 RBI, and 132 OPS+ and had wrested the starting catcher job from Yasmani Grandal and Henry Davis. Bart, the former No. 1 draft pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2018, has been a reliable run producer for the Pirates since he was acquired in April. He often hit in the cleanup position in the batting order in his most recent games. On some days when Grandal started behind the dish, Bart was used as the designated hitter.
Defensively, Bart has thrown out 12 of 55 runners attempting to steal, or 22 percent, which is slightly above the major league average. However, he’s considered below average at blocking pitches in the dirt and pitch framing. In each of those categories, he’s been charged with -1 Defensive Run Saved. Nonetheless, overall, Bart has been a positive contributor.
Three’s Company
That the Pirates have chosen to carry three catchers now that Bart is off the injured list is a bit surprising. The veteran Grandal, who’s on an expiring contract, is expendable. He’s hit just .221/.287/.379 this year. But he’s been hot, hitting .327/.450/.551 since August, and has been the personal catcher for Paul Skenes. With Endy Rodriguez due back next year, it’s a sure bet that Grandal won’t be in Pittsburgh. Yet it seems the Pirates’ brain trust feels no urgency to get Skenes acclimated to working with other catchers.
Davis has been a tremendous disappointment with the bat in 2024. In 37 games with the Pirates, he’s hit .144/.242/.212 with a homer and five RBI. He’s been back and forth from Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis all season long. At times when the Pirates needed to call up another catcher, Davis was bypassed in favor of Jason Delay and even suffered the ignominy of being passed over for career minor-leaguer Grant Koch. In Ball Four, author and former major league pitcher Jim Bouton said the opposite of a prospect was a suspect. Koch is a suspect.
Davis hit well in the minors but since being called up on August 25, he’s just 2-for-19. He’s improved defensively from the beginning of the season and is said to have the third-best “pop time” in the majors. It seems the Pirates want to continue to get a look at Davis during the remainder of the season.
Three’s a Crowd
To the frustration of the Pirates and their fans, September once again is a month for evaluation. But how to divide up the playing time among the catchers now that Bart has rejoined the Pirates from the injured list? Bart deserves to play and the Pirates’ offense, although better lately, needs his bat. The only reason for keeping Grandal would be to continue working with Skenes. Thus, expect to see Grandal behind the plate at least every fifth game. Bart and Davis might see occasional action as the designated hitter.
McKinney, We Hardly Knew Ye
McKinney, who had his contract selected on August 18, got into 10 games with the Pirates. He was 5-for-25 with two RBI and struck out 13 times. He had three hits in his first two games and looked like he might be a serviceable bench piece. However, he quickly reverted back to the .209 career hitter that he’s been. The left-handed hitter might get another contract next year with a team looking for someone who can handle all three outfield positions. On the other hand, at age 30, he may be running out of chances.
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