Pirate Catcher's Injury Is "Very Severe"

While there was some early optimism that the injury wouldn't be too bad, that's all dissipated now, as the Pittsburgh Pirates have learned late Sunday afternoon that catcher Roberto Perez's hamstring injury is "very severe."

The optimism surrounding the Roberto Perez injury ... well, it's nonexistent. One source described it as "very severe." Pretty much worst imaginable scenario for all involved.

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) May 8, 2022

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Perez is expected to miss "multiple months", and called it "pretty much the worst imaginable scenario for all involved."

It occurred on Saturday, as Perez had rounded second base and held up, obviously causing the damage to the hamstring. 

The 33-year-old two-time Gold Glove catcher signed a one-year, $5M contract with the Bucs before this season, after spending the first 8 years of his career with the Cleveland Guardians. He was off to nice start with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs, with a .700 OPS, while doing his usual strong work behind the plate.

“He caught one of the best young pitching staffs in baseball in his time in Cleveland. We saw the effect on some of our younger players and in the maturation that they showed. Like I said, it’s going to be a significant blow to us,” lamented Pirates manager Derek Shelton. 

For now, the Pirates will have to turn to two career backups to handle the catching duties; Michael Perez (no relation) and Andrew Knapp, both with career averages hovering above or below the Mendoza line.