Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: One hit in Pittsburgh debut
Rotowire
Grandal went 1-for-4 Saturday against the Rockies.
Grandal made his first start since joining the Pirates this offseason, as he was sidelined by a foot injury for the first month of the campaign. He reached base in his first plate appearance on a single. Grandal is expected to serve as Pittsburgh's primary catcher, though he may be pushed for playing time by Joey Bart.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Back in action Saturday
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Grandal is starting at catcher and batting sixth in Saturday's game against the Rockies.
Grandal missed all of spring training due to plantar fasciitis in his foot, and he began the season on the 10-day injured list. He played in nine rehab games with Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a .257/.316/.400 line with one home run and 11 RBI over 38 plate appearances. Grandal was activated from the IL on Friday, and he's set to make his 2024 debut Saturday against Rockies southpaw Austin Gomber.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Returns from injured list
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The Pirates activated Grandal (foot) from the 10-day injured list Friday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Grandal got a late start to the season while battling plantar fasciitis in his left foot, but he participated in nine rehab games with Triple-A Indianapolis and is feeling well enough to join the active roster after batting .257 (9-for-35) with two doubles and a homer. The veteran catcher is likely to share starts behind the dish with Joey Bart.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Spotted at PNC Park
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Grandal (foot) joined the Pirates at PNC Park on Friday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Grandal has not yet been activated from the injured list, but that seems likely to happen prior to Friday's game against the Rockies. The veteran catcher missed the first month-plus of the season due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot but has played nine rehab games with Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a .716 OPS with one home run. Pittsburgh could send the struggling Henry Davis down to make room on the active roster for Grandal.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Appears in back-to-back games
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Grandal (foot) served as the designated hitter Tuesday and as the catcher Wednesday during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis, MLB.com reports.
Grandal's ability to play in back-to-back games was the original benchmark the Pirates set for his return from the injured list. However, the team has since shifted its stance and has noted that he still has some progress to make prior to being activated. Grandal should be in Pittsburgh soon, but the exact timeline remains murky.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Return from IL imminent
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Grandal (foot) has made six appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis during his rehab assignment, going 5-for-21 with one home run, two walks, two runs and six RBI.
Perhaps more important than his statistical production is the fact that Grandal has made five of his six starts behind the plate, a sign that he's feeling healthy after he was shut down in the spring due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Per Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com, general manager Ben Cherington noted that Grandal's upcoming return will force the Pirates to make a tough roster decision, as one of Henry Davis and Joey Bart will lose out on a spot. Given that Bart is out of options and has been performing better of the two backstops, Davis seems like the more logical choice to get demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room for Grandal, even though Davis is seen as the Pirates' long-term answer behind the dish.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Back behind plate
Rotowire
Grandal (foot) has started two games at catcher during his current rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis, MLB.com reports.
Grandal has been dealing with a foot injury since early March and began a rehab assignment April 16, serving as the designated hitter in one additional contest. He has one hit across eight at-bats, though the Pirates are likely more concerned with his recovery than his production.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Cleared for rehab assignment
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Grandal (foot) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Grandal has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot since early March but is finally ready to test things out in a game setting. Henry Davis has struggled in the early going, so the Pirates seem likely to stick with their original plan of splitting catching duties between Davis and Grandal once the latter is ready.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Close to running bases
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Grandal (foot) will begin baserunning drills in the coming days, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Grandal has been participating in simulated games as he works his way back from plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He wouldn't appear too far off from a rehab assignment if baserunning goes well, setting up the veteran catcher to potentially return before the end of April.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Not close to return
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Manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Grandal (foot) just started a running progression and is "a ways away" from being game ready, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Progress has been slow since Grandal was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in early March, but the start of a running progression is an encouraging development. Still, the Pirates clearly don't expect the 35-year-old to be available anytime in the near future. The club traded for Joey Bart on Tuesday to boost its catching depth.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Hits IL to begin season
Rotowire
The Pirates placed Grandal (foot) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.
Grandal hasn't yet resumed running since experiencing plantar fasciitis in his left foot earlier this month, but once he's able to do so, he should be ready to head out on a rehab assignment. Manager Derek Shelton suggested early in spring training that Grandal would begin camp atop the depth chart at catcher, but the skipper's comments came before the 35-year-old was slowed by the foot injury. With that in mind, Grandal may not be guaranteed the No. 1 catching gig once he's activated from the IL, especially if Henry Davis gets off to a hot start to the season.
Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Could begin running next week
Rotowire
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Monday that Grandal (foot) could be cleared to begin running early next week, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Grandal has done advanced plyometric work as he rehabs from plantar fasciitis in his foot. He will begin the season on the injured list, which means Henry Davis will head into Opening Day atop the Pirates' catching depth chart.
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Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Likely headed for IL
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Grandal (foot) is set to begin the season on the 10-day injured list, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
The Pirates may wait until Thursday to officially place Grandal on the IL, but he'll be sidelined to begin the season while he still has yet to resume running as he works his way back from plantar fasciitis. Grandal hasn't been shut down from activity entirely, as he's still been able to catch and hit in simulated games at spring training as of last week, per MLB.com. While Grandal is on the shelf, Henry Davis should move into a full-time role behind the plate.
Pirates' Yasmani Grandal: Won't run until next week
Rotowire
Grandal (foot) won't be cleared to run until at least next week, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
He's able to do some other baseball activities, but Grandal's plantar fasciitis is still preventing him from running. Given that Opening Day is just a week away and he has just three Grapefruit League plate appearances under his belt, Grandal could very well be looking at a trip to the injured list. Henry Davis is poised for the lion's share of catching duties while Grandal is out.
