After Sunday’s game, the Pittsburgh Pirates placed Joey Bart on the injured list and recalled Henry Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis. Bart, the Pirates starting catcher, experienced what was described as “left hamstring discomfort” while running to first base as his RBI groundout drove in a run in Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. The moves, not yet made official by the team, were reported by Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Sources: catcher and former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis is being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis
Joey Bart (left hamstring) will be placed on the injured list
— Andrew Destin (@AndrewDestin1) August 25, 2024
Pirates Place Bart on Injured List, Call Up Former No. 1 Draft Pick Davis
Since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants in April, Bart is hitting .272/.347/.497, 12 HR, and 39 RBI in 63 games. He’s been one of the best hitters in baseball lately. Since July 30, he is hitting .321/.375/.580, 6 HR, and 17 RBI.
It’s a bad break for the Pirates, who are trying desperately to remain in the National League Wild Card race. They placed Andrew McCutchen on the injured list with right knee inflammation eight days ago. Ke’Bryan Hayes went on the injured list five days ago due to back issues. Another injury, especially to a productive hitter, was the last thing the Pirates needed. An already weak lineup has been weakened further again.
It’s got to be frustrating for Bart, who has rejuvenated his career with the Pirates, to go on the injured list. The 27-year-old catcher was the Giants’ No. 1 draft pick (No. 2 overall) in 2018. He was rushed to the majors in 2020 when Giants starting catcher Buster Posey opted out of the pandemic-shortened season. Bart produced a mere .233/.288/.320 slash line that season. The only season where the Giants gave Bart any extended run was 2022 when he hit .215/.296/.364, albeit with 11 homers in 97 games. When he became available in April, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington wisely jumped at the chance to get him.
How Davis Fits
Up and down with the Pirates all year, Davis gets another opportunity with Bart on the injured list. The hitting potential that made the Pirates choose Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 has yet to translate to the majors. In 2024 as a Pirate, he hit a puny .153/.267/.235, 1 HR, 5 RBI, and 44 OPS+. In 57 games with Indianapolis, however, he hit .307/.401/.555, 13 HR, and 43 RBI.
Getting Davis up to speed with the bat was one thing. However, his performance behind the plate left much to be desired, too. It will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets at catcher. Veteran Yasmani Grandal, the Pirates’ other catcher, has been better lately. He’s hitting just .208/.253/.371, 7 HR, and 23 RBI. Nevertheless, in August he’s gotten hot, hitting .297/.366/.568 for the month. Grandal hit a big two-run walk-off homer to beat the Reds on Sunday. Bart started at designated hitter eight times in August (including Sunday) so that manager Derek Shelton could get both bats in the lineup.
It’s doubtful Shelton would sit Grandal and let his bat cool off, especially as the Pirates still fancy themselves as a contender. Davis’s best bet for playing time might be as the designated hitter. When Bart exited Sunday’s game, Shelton substituted Connor Joe as the designated hitter. The slumping Joe has seen his batting average dip from .280 on June 2 to .231 today. But Shelton continues to show trust in him. In fact, recently Joe has been seen taking grounders at third base during pregame fielding practice. This indicates that Shelton is considering other possibilities for getting Joe into the lineup. Davis may be competing with both Grandal and Joe for playing time.
The Last Word
With Bart on the injured list, the prediction here is that Grandal will be the primary catcher for the Pirates. Joe will be the designated hitter against right-hand pitching. Against lefties, Joe will assume his regular position as the right-handed platoon half at first base, allowing Davis to serve as the designated hitter. If Davis sees significant time behind the plate, it would be an indication that the Pirates have given up on 2024 and are evaluating for 2025.
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