Endy Rodríguez DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher Endy Rodriguez (finger) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday after he exited Monday's contest against the Washington Nationals with a right index-finger laceration that required stitches, sources told MLB.com's Alex Stumpf. In a corresponding move, the Pirates recalled right-hander Chase Shugart from the minors. Shugart threw 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings for the Bucs in his first stint with the team. With Rodriguez now on the IL and Joey Bart still nursing a back injury, Henry Davis got the start behind the dish on Tuesday and went 1-for-3 in the 3-0 loss. The fact that the Pirates didn't call up an additional catcher suggests that Bart is getting close to a return. The 24-year-old switch-hitting Rodriguez started the year 8-for-45 (.178) with no home runs, three doubles and two RBI and will be a backup catcher/first baseman when he returns from the IL.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez (finger) was forced to exit early during Monday's game against the Washington Nationals. Rodriguez was removed after being hit in the wrist by a deflected ball. Ouch, the Pirates can't afford to lose another catcher with Joey Bart (back) injured as well. The team is calling Rodriguez day-to-day with a right index finger laceration. Henry Davis took over behind the plate on Monday and figures to see more playing time with the team shorthanded at catcher. It doesn't sound like Rodriguez or Bart will require a trip to the injured list.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher/first baseman Endy Rodriguez is not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon against the Miami Marlins. Rodriguez started the first two games of the season at first base. Instead, the Pirates will turn to Jared Triolo to cover first base and will bat seventh. Across his first two games of the season, Rodriguez has gone 0-for-6 with a 2:4 BB:K. Fantasy managers should expect Rodriguez to return to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon, for the final game of the four-game set against the Marlins. Triolo held a .216/.296/.315 slash line across 125 MLB contests last season in Pittsburgh. He went deep 10 times and went deep nine times. Given his offensive inconsistencies, he is not worth targeting in DFS facing Miami right-hander Valente Bellozo.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez is expected to begin the season at the Triple-A level. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com noted that the team wants to give Rodriguez at-bats on a daily basis. With Joey Bart slated to be Pittsburgh's primary backstop, Rodriguez will be able to further his development with more playing time in the minor leagues. Last season, Rodriguez was only able to play in 10 minor league games due to an elbow injury. He made his MLB debut during the 2023 season and posted a .220/.284/.328 line with seven doubles and three home runs across 57 contests. He held a 17:49 BB:K. Through 77 career games at Triple-A, the 24-year-old has posted a .285/.362/.450 slash line with 19 doubles and eight home runs. He is worth monitoring in NL-only leagues as he should return to the majors later in 2025.

According to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez (elbow) "feels great" heading into spring training. Rodriguez missed most of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair his UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow. Rodriguez noted that his swing feels "correct" as well. However, fantasy managers should expect him to be eased into action during spring training, as he appeared in just 10 games (all in the minor leagues) last season. In 2023, Rodriguez made his big league debut and posted a .220/.284/.328 line with seven doubles and three home runs. While Joey Bart is likely penciled in as the Opening Day starting catcher, Rodriguez is expected to compete for the No. 2 role with former top prospect Henry Davis during spring training. If Rodriguez makes the Opening Day roster, he could be worth a look in deeper NL-only formats.