Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez is done for the year following left hip labrum surgery on Wednesday, the Bucs announced. He’ll be sidelined for seven to nine months. That timeline means Rodriguez could miss time next season.
Rodriguez was initially placed on the injured list with hip inflammation. General manager Ben Cherington hinted at surgery last week. The backstop will ultimately go under the knife to address the issue.
Injuries have been the theme of Rodriguez’s career. He missed most of 2024 after offseason elbow surgery. Hand and elbow injuries limited him to 18 games with the Pirates last season. Rodriguez missed a couple of weeks with a left glute strain in July before the hip injury.
Wednesday’s surgery puts an end to what was becoming a breakout season for Rodriguez. The switch-hitter finished his year with a .267/.373/.467 line with seven home runs and six doubles across 159 plate appearances. It was a marked improvement over Rodriguez’s numbers in limited MLB stints in 2023 and ’25.
Pittsburgh will finish the season with a catching duo of Rafael Flores Jr. and Henry Davis. Flores, a 25-year-old rookie, has popped six homers in 25 MLB games this year. Davis has had another ugly offensive season. Flores might be the team’s long-term answer if Rodriguez is unable to stay healthy.
Despite having just 120 career games under his belt, Rodriguez crossed the three-year service threshold this season. He logged full service years in 2024 and ’25 while on the MLB injured list for all but 18 games. Rodriguez will qualify for arbitration this offseason, though he’s not going to make much more than his previous salaries given the limited statistical track record.
Jason Mackey of MLB.com was among those to report the news of Rodriguez’s surgery.
