CINCINNATI – Michael Pérez was approached by Class AAA manager Miguel Pérez and was asked if he was ready to go.
“Go where,” the catcher asked?
“The major leagues!” his skipper responded.
“In 10 minutes, I showered, packed my bags,” Michael Pérez told me before snapping his fingers, “out of here. It was quick.”
All Pérez could bring was his gear, a phone and his wallet before he jumped in an Uber for the 90 minute ride to Cincinnati. The rest of his stuff will be brought to Pittsburgh by major-league coach Jeremy Bleich, who was in Indianapolis to work with the Pirates’ other pitchers on the 40 man roster.
On Sunday, he made his return to the major-league team, and even did so with a bang with a two-run homer, albeit in a losing effort to the Reds at Great American Ball Park, 7-3.
After losing out on the backup catcher job in spring training Pérez is very likely going to be with the Pirates for some time moving forward. On Saturday, starter Roberto Pérez (both catchers will be referred to by just their first names from henceforth to avoid confusion) slipped rounding second base and needed helped off the field. He was placed on the 10-day injured list shortly after the game.
General manager Ben Cherington said on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan Sunday that Roberto’s injury is on the “more severe side of things.” Derek Shelton said they are planning on him missing “significant time.”
While a decision has not been made yet of if he will need to go to the 60-day injured list – the Pirates will wait until their doctors back in Pittsburgh get a look at him first before making that call – watching Roberto hobble around the clubhouse with crutches would indicate it is a strong possibility, if not a probability.
Losing Roberto would hurt in several areas, including providing potential Gold Glove level defense behind the plate, a clubhouse leader and a terrific influence for the pitching staff.
“That’s the biggest portion, just the ability to call a game, the ability to bring your young pitchers along as we’ve talked about numerous times,” Shelton said. “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. It’s going to be a significant blow to us.”
While he doesn’t bring Roberto’s glove, Michael at least has a good familiarity with the pitching staff after being around the team last year and during spring training.
“I have a pretty good idea of everybody,” Michael said. “Yesterday I was watching a lot of film with Thompson to find out what he likes to do with righty, lefties.”
And perhaps Roberto’s injury will be the catalyst for a series of promotions within the farm system. One has already happened, with Henry Davis being promoted to Class AA Altoona after tearing up High-A Greensboro.
The Pirates have a pair of catching options still in Indianapolis with Taylor Davis, Jason Delay and the injured Jamie Ritchie, but it could also open the door for a Blake Sabol or Carter Bins promotion from Altoona. A decision hasn't been made there. Bins is the higher-graded prospect, but Sabol entered Sunday hitting .301 with an .806 OPS.
But for now in the majors, it will be Michael Pérez and Andrew Knapp getting the reps behind the plate, hoping that the duo can keep a young staff filled with pitchers in many new roles in line.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• 90 minutes before first pitch, Shelton did not know if starter Zach Thompson would be healthy enough to pitch because the tall right-hander became the latest Pirate to battle an illness.
Not only could he pitch, it was his best start with his new club, striking out six with no walks and only two hits over five frames.
That was all he had in him physically, and Shelton turned the ball over to the normally reliable Dillon Peters, he allowed all four of the batters he let faced on, three via walks. Heath Hembree was brought on to try to quiet the rally, but Colin Moran gave the Reds the lead for good with a grand slam.
Those four runs allowed were the first four of the season for Peters.
"This game's got a lot of humbling," Peters said. "I wanted to go back out there and try to do what I've been doing all year. Not going to let this moment define me."
• Moran's added another home run in the eighth, giving him a career-high six RBIs on the afternoon.
• With the loss, the Pirates drop the weekend series to the Reds, who entered with a 3-22 record.
"We didn’t play well for two games," Shelton said. "We did some things that were uncharacteristic, especially today, and it cost us a game."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 10-day injured list: SS Kevin Newman (groin), RHP Duane Underwood (hamstring)
• 60-day injured list: OF Greg Allen (hamstring), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Ben Gamel, LF
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Michael Chavis, 3B
4. Daniel Vogelbach, DH
5. Yoshi Tsutsugo, 1B
6. Diego Castillo, SS
7. Jack Suwinski, RF
8. Michael Pérez, C
9. Cole Tucker, 2B
And for David Bell's crew:
1. TJ Friedl, LF
2. Brandon Drury, 3B
3. Mike Moustakas, DH
4. Tyler Stephenson, C
5. Tyler Naquin, RF
6. Kyle Farmer, SS
7. Colin Moran, 1B
8. Albert Almora Jr., CF
9. Matt Reynolds, 2B
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates will return home to start a week-long homestand, starting with a three-game series with the Dodgers. The Dodgers have yet to announce a starter. José Quintana (0-1, 3.38) will take the bump at 6:35 p.m.
THE CONTENT
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