MLB Player News

The Pirates recalled Rodriguez from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

In a corresponding move, the Pirates placed Joey Bart on the 10-day injured list with a left foot infection. Rodriguez has slashed .221/.326/.301 with one home run across 113 at-bats for Triple-A Indianapolis on the season. Now up with the Pirates, he will presumably serve as the backup to Henry Davis with Bart down.

The Pirates placed Bart on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Sunday, with a left foot infection.

Manager Don Kelly said before Tuesday's contest that Bart was "banged up," and the 29-year-old backstop will officially have to miss at least seven more games while his foot heals. Henry Davis will presumably take over as Pittsburgh's primary backstop, and Endy Rodriguez will come up from Triple-A Indianapolis to provide depth behind the plate.

Manager Don Kelly said Bart, who is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rockies, is "banged up," Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Bart is sitting for a second consecutive game Tuesday after starting five of Pittsburgh's previous six contests. It's unclear if the 29-year-old is in danger of landing on the injured list. Henry Davis is starting behind the plate and batting ninth in the series opener versus Colorado.

Pages isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Athletics.

Pages will step out of the lineup Tuesday after going 0-for-19 with six strikeouts over his last six games. His absence will give Ivan Herrera a start behind the plate, allowing Yohel Pozo to work as the Cardinals' designated hitter.

Manager Walk Weiss said Tuesday that Murphy (finger) is expected to be sidelined at least eight weeks, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.

The veteran backstop landed on the injured list earlier Tuesday due to a fractured left middle finger, which he sustained Sunday in just his fourth game of the season after opening the year on the injured list while rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Murphy's absence will extend into July and could push beyond the All-Star break. Drake Baldwin is poised to work as Atlanta's starting catcher, and the club signed Sandy Leon to fill the backup job.

Atlanta signed Leon to a major-league contract Tuesday.

The veteran backstop signed with Atlanta as a non-roster invitee in February but failed to make the Opening Day roster and was released in April to pursue an opportunity in the Mexican League. Leon is back on a big-league deal this time since Sean Murphy (finger) was placed on the injured list. Leon should serve as the backup to Drake Baldwin while Murphy is sidelined.

Atlanta placed Murphy on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to May 11, due to a fractured left middle finger.

The 31-year-old sustained the injury on a catcher's interference when behind the plate during Sunday's game against the Dodgers and will be forced to miss some time. After spending the first month-plus of the season rehabbing from September hip surgery, Murphy is now back on the shelf after going 1-for-14 in four games for Atlanta. Drake Baldwin will operate as the club's clear No. 1 catcher moving forward, and veteran Sandy Leon was signed to serve as the backup while Murphy is out.

The Giants optioned Porter to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Porter served as a third catcher for a couple days and did not receive a plate appearance for the Giants.

Villarroel (knee) is slashing .067/.176/.067 with a 1:4 BB:K across 17 plate appearances in four outings with High-A Eugene this season.

Villarroel briefly played in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League before joining Eugene, which placed him on the 7-day injured list April 3 following offseason meniscus surgery. The 21-year-old catcher has struggled since moving to High-A, going hitless in his first three appearances before logging a single in Sunday's 13-8 win over Vancouver.

The Cardinals promoted Rodriguez from High-A Peoria to Double-A Springfield on Monday, Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports.

Rodriguez is only 19 but needs a new challenge after slashing .311/.430/.519 with four home runs and a 19:24 BB:K over 28 games with Peoria. The top prospect has continued to primarily play catcher this season (16 starts), but he's also been worked in at first base (six starts) and designated hitter (six starts). A permanent move off catcher could speed up Rodriguez's timeline for reaching the big leagues, though there's no indication at this point that the Cardinals are considering such a decision.