PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates were forced to make an early substitution behind the plate after a wild pitch led to an injury.
In the top of the first inning at PNC Park, Pirates right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes faced Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood.
Skenes threw a curveball that bounced, striking Wood and also glancing off the throwing hand of Pirates catcher Endy Rodríguez.
The Pirates’ medical staff treated Endy Rodríguez, but manager Derek Shelton decided to replace him with Henry Davis at catcher.
Rodríguez was in his fifth start at catcher this season, his third with pitcher Paul Skenes. He’s also started nine games at first base, filling in for Spencer Horwitz, who remains sidelined with a right wrist injury.
A prolonged absence would mark Rodríguez’s second consecutive season dealing with injuries. After the 2023 season, he suffered an injury during winter ball, requiring reconstructive surgery on his UCL and flexor tendon on Dec. 12, which sidelined him for all of 2024. He returned late in 2024, playing 10 games—six with Double-A Altoona Curve and four with Triple-A Indianapolis.
In spring training, Rodríguez performed well, hitting .321/.486/.571 with a 1.057 OPS, nine hits, two doubles, one home run, six RBIs, and nine walks in 14 games.
The Pirates have faced catcher injury issues, with Joey Bart exiting a game against the Cincinnati Reds on April 11 due to lower back discomfort. Shelton noted pre-game that Bart caught bullpen and is available, as he was never placed on the Injured List.
Pittsburgh recalled Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis on April 12, optioning pitcher Chase Shugart. In eight games with Indianapolis, Davis hit .286/.355/.393 with a .748 OPS, eight hits in 28 at-bats, three doubles, two RBIs, three walks, four strikeouts, and two stolen bases.
Davis started the last two games for the Pirates, going 0-for-6 at the plate, as the team was swept by the Reds.
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