The Pirates announced four roster moves, including the news that catcher/infielder Endy Rodriguez has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. Left-hander Joey Wentz was also designated for assignment. In the corresponding roster moves, the Bucs selected the contract of catcher Brett Sullivan, and called up right-hander Isaac Mattson from Triple-A Indianapolis. (Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among the beat writers who noted earlier today that Sullivan and Mattson had locker space in the Pirates’ clubhouse while Wentz’s locker was gone, and manager Don Kelly told Hiles and other media and Rodriguez was going to the IL.)
Rodriguez has been limited to 18 games and 52 plate appearances in what has been another injury-plagued season for the former top prospect. A lacerated finger sidelined Rodriguez for six weeks, and he played in just one inning of his third game back from the IL before elbow discomfort forced him out of yesterday’s 5-4 Pirates win over the Phillies.
The exact nature of the elbow issue isn’t known, but it’s a notable red flag given that Rodriguez missed the entire 2024 season due to UCL surgery. The best-case scenario is that Rodriguez is just feeling some residual soreness perhaps more related to this year’s IL stint than anything lingering from his UCL procedure, but for now, Rodriguez will face additional time on the sidelines. With only a .173/.246/.250 slash line through his first 57 plate appearances, Rodriguez could also potentially use this absence as a reset on his season.
Rodriguez has split time between first base and catcher when he has been able to play. For the latter position, since Joey Bart is also on the seven-day concussion IL, Sullivan will now head to the majors to join Henry Davis as Pittsburgh’s catching combo. Sullivan was acquired in a trade with the Padres in mid-April soon after Rodriguez was placed on the IL with his finger injury, as the Pirates wanted to add to their depth behind the plate.
Sullivan has hit .206/.243/.299 over 103 PA at the big league level (all with San Diego in 2023-24). Over 11 pro seasons, the 31-year-old has posted some good numbers in the minors, including a .268/.338/.443 slash line and 43 home runs over 1670 Triple-A plate appearances. Sullivan has been considered a middling defensive catcher, which could explain why he hasn’t received much big league time even while spending most of his career with the Rays and Padres — two clubs that have their share of needs at catcher in recent years.
Wentz is out of minor league options, so the Pirates had to designate the southpaw and expose him to waivers before trying to move him off the 40-man roster. Pittsburgh acquired Wentz on a waiver claim from the Tigers last September, and he has been decent if unremarkable over 38 innings of bullpen work. Twenty-six of those innings came this season, with Wentz posting a 4.15 ERA, 19.1% strikeout rate, and 9.6% walk rate. As per usual, Wentz has performed better against left-handed batters than right-handed batters over his career, though his splits this year (.661 OPS against lefties, .716 OPS against righties) doesn’t reveal a huge gap.
While his 2025 work remains a smaller sample size, it does represent a big step up from the 6.03 ERA Wentz posted in 173 innings with Detroit and Pittsburgh in 2023-24. That could be enough for a southpaw-needy team to put in a claim on Wentz’s services, but if he clears waivers, he doesn’t have a prior outright on his resume so he’d have to accept an outright assignment to Indianapolis.
And the cheapness continues
Nothing cheap about these specific transactions. Go troll another team
i’m not a troll d-bag
This team needs runs, this catcher isn’t good enough offensively to make any
And if you don’t like my comments mute me.
Lmao
That didn’t make a bit of sense.
He’s here to be a backup. That’s it.
How is it possible to spend money in June to get a good hitting catcher. Who’s here to back up for a few days til Bart returns. It’s doubtful he’ll see the field.
Cheapness has absolutely nothing to do with these moves.
The man isn’t a troll..he’s a longtime bucco fan like me..both of is disappointed and missed by this year’s awful mismanagement by cherrington, Shelton now Kelly and of course Mr nutjob nutting
With no dog In this fight barts stats aren’t exactly lighting up box scores this season, why not give Davis some runway even if/when Bart returns ..be nice to see if the guy you chose 1/1 can keep improving ?
Muting is cowardly.
And he’s right. These transactions have NOTHING to do with money.
You just want to moan incessantly about the Pirates spending and ignore the fact that Pittsburgh is an historically bad market for baseball.
Pool-Henry has improved very much and is Skenes’ catcher.
He may never be Johnny Bench at the plate but he is improving there also.
It takes time for these young hitters to develop and the Pirates have not exactly been the best coaching team for young hitters.
If he keeps improving he will end up being the Pirates first catcher.
The man is WRONG.
Money had NOTHING to do with these transactions.
And, even if it did, it would only be because Pittsburgh is an historically bad market for baseball.
what happened to joey wendle
Joey Wentz…the pitcher to put in a game when you need more than a 2 run deficit.
Wentz can be an okay middle relief/lower leverage arm. But I’d rather that roster spot be taken by someone else.
Always happy to see Mattson back up though.
Mattsion should have never been sent down this last time
Keeping Rainey over Mattson was a mistake
Wentz has been hit or miss but I think that he has talent.
Cherington erred big time when he traded Delay and kept Chung on the 40 man roster.
They also have two other lefthanders and he was odd man out.
They may be hoping that he passes waivers but I think that he will traded as someone will need a decent left handed reliever.
I agree that Mattson should have stayed instead of Rainey but they knew that they could option Mattson.
Typical moves by a once proud franchise, now like the steelers..LAUGHING STOCKS
May not see Endy again since will probably need rest and rehab and Bart/Davis capable of handling catching duties.
Bart is still in concussion protocol so we’re stuck with Sullivan as the backup
The Bucs continue to lead the majors in called third strikes
Off topic, it would be nice if they could find a trading partner for Hayes and Pham
Both contribute nothing to this offense