The Pirates’ catching picture just took another hit, and this one may reach beyond 2026.
Endy Rodríguez had been one of the few reasons to feel any optimism about the position this season. Then came the left hip inflammation that landed him on the IL August 13. That issue turned out to be a torn labrum, and surgery Wednesday to repair it has shut him down for the year.
Rodriguez is expected to be back to baseball activities in seven to nine months, a timeline that could also push back the start of his 2027 season.
It’s the latest setback in a career that has been battered by injuries. Rodriguez entered the league with real buzz, ranking No. 55 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list in 2023.
The switch-hitter looked like a possible long-term answer, but a torn UCL in winter ball wiped out his 2024 season. His 2025 season ended early because of another elbow problem, this time involving the ulnar nerve in his right elbow.
He also spent time on the IL earlier in 2026 with a left glute strain.
That run of bad luck has made it impossible to ignore the durability concerns around the 26-year-old.
Pirates insider Alex Stumpf noted that Pittsburgh had been tracking Rodriguez for a long time, and even tried to trade for him from the New York Mets multiple times in 2020 because the club believed the Mets would never let him go once they understood what they had. Now the Pirates are left trying to figure out where he fits.
On the field, Rodriguez had finally started to look like himself. He came into 2026 with only 264 plate appearances over three seasons and a career line of .210/.276/.311, but when he got regular run this year, he delivered. Rodriguez hit .267/.373/.467 with seven homers.
The bat wasn’t a mirage, either. His average exit velocity sat at 92.4 miles per hour, he posted a 10.6% barrel rate, a 46.8% hard-hit rate, and a 37.2% launch angle sweet spot percentage.
The problem is that the rest of the package still has cracks. His arm has been affected by the elbow injuries, he struggles to block pitches, and at best he profiles as a roughly average pitch framer.
For a while, the idea of pairing him with Henry Davis, whose defense is excellent, at least made the catching setup look workable. That no longer feels safe. With Rodriguez’s latest injury added to the pile, relying on him for a major share of the catching workload looks like a gamble the Pirates can’t afford.
That’s why catcher has to sit near the top of Ben Cherington’s offseason to-do list. Pittsburgh could still use Rodriguez as a backup, but it needs a legitimate veteran who can start. There should be options available, with Ryan Jeffers and Tyler Stephenson set to become free agents, while Carson Kelly has a mutual option with the Cubs that could put him on the market.
However it plays out, the Pirates can’t head into 2027 acting as if Rodriguez is the answer behind the plate. Anything they get from him now has to be treated as a bonus.
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