PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Expected to be part of a catching tandem with Henry Davis in 2024, Endy Rodriguez instead had to battle back from elbow surgery. Tuesday he is expected to play his first baseball game this year.
The switch-hitting catcher had seven doubles, two triples and three home runs with a .220 average in 57 games for the Pirates in 2023. In his minor league career, .296 average, .895 OPS, 100 doubles, 16 triples, 50 home runs, 243 RBI and a .386 on-base percentage. He was the Pirates best minor-league hitter in 2022 finishing with a .323 average, .407 on-base, .996 OPS with 39 doubles and 25 home runs in 125 games.
Before leaving to play for AA Altoona and the game Tuesday, Rodriguez was with the Pirates at PNC Park saying he can’t explain the feeling of being able to play again other than it makes him feel good. He said the time away has made him love the game even more along with his desire next year to help this team win.
"Very excited,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “He's been here with us for the last three days. He looks great. I think we talked about it the last time he was up here, the challenge that we gave him was to get stronger and get bigger. If you've seen him, he looks really good. Just excited to watch him in game competition.”
Rodriguez said the entire process has been hard but it’s to the point now that he trusts when he does anything physically--hitting, fielding or throwing. Now it’s time to not just do it in practice, but in a game.
“I want to go and make sure my body is 100% to play,” Rodriguez said. “It doesn’t matter what is going to happen at the end of the year. If I have to go home, I know everything is good.”
“His energy is different and he needs to get back on the field,” Shelton said. “That fact that he's worked this hard, our medical group in Bradenton has done such a good job to get him back on the field, it's gonna be what, September 10 and he's going to be playing in games? I'm very excited about that."
Rodriguez will go to AAA Indianapolis after a week with the Curve to finish out there. The 24-year-old will then participate in fall league or winter ball. He said he misses being around his teammates and wants to get to know everybody.
One of his newest teammates is also a catcher. Pirates traded for catcher Joey Bart who was being put on waivers by the Giants at the start of the season. Since joining the Pirates, Bart has transformed into the number one catcher hitting .271 with 13 home runs and a .848 OPS (which would lead MLB for catchers if he had enough at bats). Going into next season Rodriguez joins Bart, Henry Davis and Jason Delay as catchers with MLB experience under team control.
Rodriguez has played first and second base in the minors. What if he played somewhere other than catcher?
“I’m a player,” Rodriguez said. “God gave me this versatility to play everywhere and I’m going to use it. If I have to go to first, I’m going to first. I just want to play.”
“I think we look at him as a catcher primarily,” Shelton said. “The ability to have versatility and lay other positions -- specifically first -- I think is gonna be extremely helpful and it'll be extremely helpful during his rehab, because he's probably gonna be really sore after the first day he catches.”
“We have to make sure, because of the at-bats, the fact that he's able to play different positions is important for us. And then as we move forward, in '25, '26, and not just specifically those years, but the ability to bounce around, whether it's in-game or to keep his bat in the lineup will be important for us.”
As Rodriguez said, he just wants to play. After a year of watching, he’s back, albeit in AA on Tuesday.
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