The Pirates announced Wednesday that catcher Endy Rodriguez is headed to the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 6, with a left glute strain. It's a gut punch for a Pittsburgh lineup that hasn't had much go right lately, and it costs the club its most productive hitter behind the plate right as the calendar turns toward the All-Star break.
This one stings because of the timing. Rodriguez, 26, has been quietly having a breakout year, slashing .260/.388/.470 with 6 doubles, 5 home runs and 16 RBIs across 35 games. That's a real jump for a former top prospect who's still establishing himself as an everyday big-league catcher, and it's the kind of production Pittsburgh badly needs from a position that's been a black hole for a lot of rebuilding teams.
The Pirates recalled Rafael Flores to fill the vacated roster spot, but he's stepping into a lineup that's already been gutted. Rodriguez is reportedly the fourth Pirates starter to land on the shelf in just over a month, joining the club's starting shortstop, first baseman and center fielder on the injury report. That's not a slump, that's an infirmary.
There's a case for optimism buried in here. A glute strain landing right before the All-Star break means Pittsburgh can theoretically manage the absence without losing too many actual games — rest him through the break, bring him back close to schedule, no long-term IL stint required. But that's the best-case read on a Pirates season that's had to lean on best-case reads a lot lately.
For a team that's spent the summer trying to figure out which young pieces are actually part of the next good Pirates team, losing Rodriguez's bat — even for 10 days — is a real blow to the evaluation process. He was one of the few answers on a roster full of questions. Now Pittsburgh just has to hope the answer isn't gone for long.