Bart (back) will start at catcher and bat cleanup in Thursday's game against the Nationals.
Though the Pirates were concerned enough about Bart's health to keep newly acquired Brett Sullivan on hand Thursday in case he needed to be added to the roster as additional catching depth, Bart demonstrated enough progress in his recovery from lower-back soreness to resume catching duties Thursday. The injury kept Bart out of the lineup for five straight games, but assuming he experiences no setbacks Thursday, he should be capable of handling a near-everyday role behind the dish moving forward. Bart had gotten off to a strong start o the season prior to getting hurt, batting .275 with one home run, one stolen base, five RBI and four runs over 12 games.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Held out again Wednesday
Rotowire
Bart (back) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.
It's the fifth straight start Bart has missed due to lower-back soreness. Bart had been set to go through pregame testing Tuesday to determine his status, and while he has not yet been placed on the injured list, Bart clearly is not yet ready to play. Henry Davis will start at catcher and bat ninth Wednesday.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Will go through tests pregame
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Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Bart (back) will go through tests pregame Tuesday to determine his status, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Bart is missing a fourth straight start Tuesday due to lower-back soreness. The Pirates have added catcher Abrahan Gutierrez to their taxi squad in case a roster move involving Bart is required. The club is already without Endy Rodriguez (finger), leaving Henry Davis to start Tuesday's game.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Remains out of action Tuesday
Rotowire
Bart (back) remains out of the lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Nationals.
Bart will miss a fourth straight start due to lower-back discomfort. He was said to be available off the bench Monday and should be again Tuesday. The Pirates did not call up a catcher to take the roster spot of the injured Endy Rodriguez (finger), suggesting Bart's return to the lineup is imminent. Henry Davis will start at catcher and bat ninth Tuesday.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Out again Monday
Rotowire
Bart (back) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Nationals.
Bart hasn't played since exiting Friday's 5-3 loss to the Reds due to lower-back discomfort, but he's expected to be available off the bench Monday after manager Derek Shelton said that the backstop caught a bullpen session earlier in the day, per Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. The Pirates called up Henry Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday to provide some extra insurance behind the dish while Bart has been tending to the back injury. Davis started at catcher in the previous two games, but Endy Rodriguez will form a battery with starting pitcher Paul Skenes in Monday's series opener.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Remains out Sunday
Rotowire
Bart (back) is not in the Pirates' starting lineup against the Reds on Sunday.
Bart continues to work through lower-back discomfort and will miss a second straight game as a result. Henry Davis will once again start behind home plate and bat ninth against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Bart (back) is not in the Pirates' starting lineup against the Reds on Saturday.
Bart exited Friday's game against Cincinnati due to lower-back discomfort, and he'll remain sidelined for Saturday's contest. Henry Davis, who was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, will serve behind home plate and bat ninth against Reds southpaw Andrew Abbott.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Exits with back injury
Rotowire
Bart was removed from Friday's game against the Reds due to lower-back discomfort.
The Pirates are labelling Bart as day-to-day, which is a good sign that his injury isn't too serious. The 28-year-old may miss a game or two if his soreness lingers, but he doesn't appear destined for the injured list.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Heating up
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Bart went 2-for-5 with an RBI on Wednesday against the Cardinals.
Bart delivered the walk-off hit in the bottom of the 13th inning and concluded Pittsburgh's series against the Cardinals with five hits across 11 at-bats. He also tallied three extra-base hits -- including his first homer of the season-- while driving in four. Bart showed signs of breaking out across 282 plate appearances in 2024, and he's performed well at the plate across 45 plate appearances in 2025 while serving as the Pirates' primary catcher.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Knocks first homer
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Bart went 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple and two runs scored in Monday's win over St. Louis.
Bart drilled a solo shot in the first inning and added an RBI triple in the seventh. Those were his first two extra-base hits of the season. He had been stuck in a 2-for-16 skid since his last multi-hit performance in Miami on March 29. Bart is slashing .250/.351/.406 with four runs scored through 37 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Bart is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees.
Bart started behind the plate in three of Pittsburgh's previous four games, but he'll get a breather Saturday while Endy Rodriguez takes over at catcher. Bart has logged a .261/.370/.261 slash line through 27 plate appearances to begin the campaign, though he doesn't have any extra-base hits and has struck out at a 33.3 percent clip.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Getting Wednesday off
Rotowire
Bart is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.
Bart will take a seat as the Pirates and Rays wrap up their series with a day game after a night game. Endy Rodriguez will receive a turn behind the plate Wednesday.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Idle Sunday
Rotowire
Bart is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.
Bart will get a breather after he started behind the plate in each of the first three games of the series, going 4-for-12 with two walks, two runs, one RBI and one stolen base. Endy Rodriguez will fill in for Bart, starting at catcher and batting sixth.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Tallies three hits
Rotowire
Bart went 3-for-6 with an RBI and a stolen base Saturday against the Marlins.
Bart has started all three of Pittsburgh's games behind the plate and hit cleanup on each occasion. He doesn't have much fantasy production to show for it, but he's gone 4-for-12 with a pair of walks.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Impressive start to spring
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Bart has gone 4-for-11 with two home runs and six RBI in Grapefruit League action.
Bart homered for the second consecutive game Wednesday, blasting a fastball over the fence in center field during a win over the Blue Jays. He's expected to be the Pirates' primary catcher in 2025, and his start to spring training has seemingly solidified that role.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Earning $1.75M in 2025
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Bart and the Pirates avoided arbitration Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.75 million deal, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft was unable to establish himself as the Giants' long-term answer at catcher over parts of four seasons in the big leagues, but the 28-year-old benefited from a change of scenery after he was shipped to Pittsburgh in April. He ended the 2024 campaign as the Pirates' top catcher, having slashed .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs, 45 RBI and 38 runs across 282 plate appearances. The Pirates have 2021 No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis and 24-year-old Endy Rodriguez on hand as intriguing young options at catcher, but based on his performance last season, Bart will enter spring training as the favorite to open the 2025 campaign as the Bucs' top backstop.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Top of depth chart at catcher
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Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on Dec. 10 in an interview on MLB Network that Bart will enter 2025 as the favorite to start at catcher, The Bucco Beat reports.
The Pirates acquired Bart shortly after Opening Day and he eventually emerged as the team's primary catcher, slashing .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs over 280 plate appearances. Endy Rodriguez will be back from elbow surgery and Henry Davis is still around, so Bart will have competition for playing time behind the plate, but he'll enter the season with a leg up for the starting job.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Idle Saturday
Rotowire
Bart isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees.
After tallying six hits over his last five games, Bart will take a seat Saturday against Luis Gil and company. Yasmani Grandal will start behind the dish while batting seventh.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Resting Wednesday
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Bart is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
Bart will grab a breather Wednesday after starting at catcher in both of the past two games. Yasmani Grandal will replace Bart behind the dish.
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Pirates' Joey Bart: Sitting Saturday
Rotowire
Bart is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Cincinnati.
Bart will give way to Yasmani Grandal behind the dish Saturday against Rhett Lowder and the Reds. Bart is 8-for-39 (.205) with a home run and five RBI in his last 12 games.
