Backup catcher Maile likely to miss season
So much for carrying three catchers.
It looks as if John Ryan Murphy will back up starting catcher Jacob Stallings this season after the Pirates announced Saturday that Luke Maile had surgery to repair a fractured right index finger.
Maile, who was slated to be Stallings’ backup, was injured Thursday in an intrasquad game at PNC Park, the team said. The surgery was performed Friday by Dr. Edward Birdsong at Allegheny Health Network.
The Pirates said they expect Maile to resume baseball activities in 10-12 weeks.
Given the shortened season, it’s all but certain that Maile will be out for the year, meaning Murphy should make the team unless the Pirates sign or trade for another catcher.
General manager Ben Cherington signed Maile as a free agent on Dec. 16, prioritizing the 29-year-old’s defense and believing that he would be able to produce more offense than he did in 2019.
Maile hit just .151 for the Toronto Blue Jays last season and posted a .440 OPS, though he had been happy with some of the work he was doing with Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein this spring and summer, shortening his swing and refining his approach.
Toronto non-tendered Maile Dec. 2 after he spent time as former Pirate Russell Martin’s backup. Maile had a strong year in 2018, when he was worth 2.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), according to FanGraphs, and had an OPS of .700.
The Pirates had been carrying three catchers and probably would’ve kept Murphy around as a member of the taxi squad. But the Bradenton, Fla., native — whom the Pirates signed to a minor league deal in January — now has regular work for the 2020 season.
Murphy previously saw consistent playing time in 2018, when he played in 87 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Another strong defensive catcher, Murphy finished 11th in framing in the major leagues that season, according to Baseball Prospectus.
In Fielding Runs Above Average (FRAA), a measure of catchers’ overall defensive performance — Murphy was 11th in 2018 and 35th last season.
Hitting has not been Murphy’s strength. His best offensive campaign came with Arizona two years ago, when he had 9 homers, 24 RBIs and a .202 average.
Walk recovering
Pirates broadcaster Bob Walk tested positive for the coronavirus and is recovering, his partner, Greg Brown, said Saturday on the game telecast. Walk’s positive test later was confirmed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“A couple of rough days, but he says he’s feeling great,” Brown told viewers. “You know Walkie, he’s a warrior.”
Brown said the Pirates hope to have Walk back in the booth for opening day Friday in St. Louis against the Cardinals. Walk theoretically would have to test negative twice before being allowed back.
Schedule for Cleveland
Trevor Williams will start Monday when the Pirates travel to Cleveland. He’ll be followed by JT Brubaker, Michael Feliz, Kyle Crick, Richard Rodriguez, Chris Stratton and Robbie Erlin. Mike Clevinger will get the start for Cleveland.
Roster additions
Similar to spring training, the Pirates brought up four players from Altoona for the game Saturday against the Indians — shortstop Oneil Cruz, catcher Andrew Susac, outfielder Jason Martin, first baseman Will Craig.