Henry Davis Injury News & Updates

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Thursday that Davis will enter spring training as a catcher, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Davis made his major-league debut in right field this past year and only logged two total innings behind the plate, but the Pirates will have him continue working defensively at baseball's shallowest position. Endy Rodriguez projects to open the 2024 campaign as Pittsburgh's primary backstop, with Davis likely again playing mostly in the outfield or at DH, but injuries happen and the Bucs don't want to stunt any sort of development angles for their bright young talent.

Davis is absent from the lineup Thursday versus the Phillies.

Davis has been playing through an ankle injury, though he drove in two runs out of the DH spot Wednesday. Bryan Reynolds will take a turn as the Pirates' designated hitter Thursday at Philadelphia as Miguel Andujar covers right field.

Davis is dealing with an ankle injury and will bat fifth as the designated hitter Wednesday against the Phillies, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis tweaked his ankle while running the bases Tuesday, so he'll be limiting to batting Wednesday after initially being slated to man right field. The injury doesn't appear to be a significant issue since the 24-year-old remains in the lineup.

Davis went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to Philadelphia.

Davis tied the game in the top of the eighth with a 379-foot solo shot off Craig Kimbrel. The former No. 1 pick may have re-found his rhythm after initially struggling in his return from the injured list for a hand strain Sept. 16. Davis extended his active hit streak to five games while also popping an extra base hit in three straight. The rookie is slashing .219/.304/.367 in 237 plate appearances over 58 games.

Davis isn't in the Pirates' lineup Saturday against Cincinnati, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

After slugging a home run Friday to extend his hitting streak to three games, Davis will take a seat to begin Saturday's game. Josh Palacios will start in right field, and Ke'Bryan Hayes will operate as Pittsburgh's designated hitter while Jared Triolo covers the hot corner.

Davis went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday against the Reds.

Davis hit his sixth homer of the season in the fifth inning, which also marked his first extra-base hit since being activated from the injured list Sept. 16. In five games since his return, he has a 65 percent strikeout rate with only one walk and three hits in 19 at-bats. He remains a near-everyday player in the Pittsburgh lineup, though he's most recently hit seventh or eighth.

Davis isn't in the Pirates' lineup Thursday against the Cubs, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis went 1-for-4 and drove in two runs during Wednesday's victory over the Cubs, and he'll take a seat to conclude the series Thursday. Connor Joe will step in as Pittsburgh's DH and bat in the leadoff spot.

The Pirates reinstated Davis (hand) from the injured list Friday.

A strained right hand forced Davis onto the injured list Aug. 21, and he began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday. Davis impressively went 8-for-13 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored across four games during his assignment, so he'll be swinging a hot bat as he slides back in as Pittsburgh's primary right fielder. Vinny Capra was optioned to Indianapolis in a corresponding move.

Davis (hand) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

A right hand strain forced Davis onto the 10-day injured list Aug. 23, and he's now set to begin the final stage of his recovery process. The Pirates haven't indicated how long Davis will remain in the minors, but he will almost certainly make it back before the end of the season.

Davis (hand) could begin a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis resumed taking batting practice last week and has apparently progressed without issue. On the shelf since Aug. 23 due to a strained right hand, the 23-year-old catcher and corner outfielder should be able to fit in a few more weeks of major-league games with the Pirates before the 2023 season comes to an end.

Davis (hand) participated in batting practice and did defensive work ahead of Saturday's game against the Cardinals, MLB.com reports.

This marked the first time that Davis took part in batting practice since he was placed on the injured list Aug. 23. There's no clear timeline for his return to the field, though Davis is expected to play again prior to the close of the campaign.

Davis was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday.

The Pirates did not announce why Davis landed on the injured list, but regardless he will be unavailable for the next 10 days. Josh Palacios will start in place of Davis on Monday night and is the favorite to be Pittsburg's regular right fielder until Davis is ready to return.

Davis is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis will head to the bench for the second time in three days after going 0-for-12 with five strikeouts in his last three starts. Josh Palacios will pick up the start in right field in Davis' stead, but the 23-year-old rookie doesn't appear in imminent danger of losing out on a near-everyday role in the Pittsburgh outfield.

Davis isn't starting Saturday versus Pittsburgh, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis is 0-for-10 across his last three games, so he'll take a day to recollect himself Saturday. Josh Palacios (illness) will return to take Davis' place in right field and bat fifth.

Davis is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Mets.

Davis has posted just a .543 OPS so far this month and will get a breather for this one as he regroups. Connor Joe will handle right field for the Pirates.

Davis is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against Atlanta.

Josh Palacios has been getting run atop the batting order and will receive another start in the leadoff spot Tuesday, this time at Davis' expense in right field. This snaps a streak of six consecutive starts for Davis, who sits with a .672 OPS, five homers and three steals through 41 career games.

Davis went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and two runs scored Friday against the Brewers.

Davis entered the game having collected only two hits across his last 38 at-bats, though he snapped that stretch with a two-run blast in the second inning. His .232 average is underwhelming, but Davis' underlying numbers suggest he hasn't been overmatched in the majors as he's struck out at only a 20.9 percent clip while maintaining a .152 ISO across 158 plate appearances. He should continue to start the majority of the team's games in right field, and he has fluctuated between batting fourth and fifth in the order of late.

Davis went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in Friday's 8-5 loss to the Angels.

Davis made his presence felt despite the poor result for the Pirates, taking Shohei Ohtani deep in the fourth and sixth innings. He's the first player to homer twice in the same game off Ohtani, per MLB. Davis doubled his homer count for the season to four, and he's added 11 RBI, 16 runs scored, three stolen bases and a .295/.391/.463 slash line over his first 110 plate appearances. He continues to play regularly in right field despite coming up through the Pirates' system as a catcher.

Davis went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a steal in Sunday's loss against the Giants.

Davis has two hits in each of his last three games since the All-Star break, going 6-for-11 (.545) in that stretch. The 23-year-old rookie is now slashing .280/.372/.402 with two homers, 13 runs scored, nine RBI and three stolen bases through his first 94 plate appearances while playing primarily in the outfield.

Davis went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday against the Giants.

Davis snapped a 17-game homerless stretch to blast his second career homer Saturday. Despite the lack of power, he has adjusted well to the big leagues by striking out at only a 21.3 percent rate while reaching base at a .360 clip. Davis is also locked into a prominent spot in the Pirates' order, hitting anywhere between first and fifth consistently for the last three weeks.

Davis is starting in right field and batting leadoff Friday versus the Diamondbacks.

This will be the first career appearance at leadoff for Davis, though he could become a featured option there with the Pirates having to send both Andrew McCutchen (elbow) and Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) to the injured list Friday. Davis, 23, has slashed .270/.333/.365 with one home run and two stolen bases in 17 games since arriving in the majors June 19.

Davis is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

For the first time since getting a call-up to the majors June 19, Davis will head to the bench. He's started in right field or at designated hitter in each of his first 12 games with the Pirates, slashing .311/.380/.422 with a home run, two stolen bases, six RBI and six runs.

Davis went 2-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base Wednesday against the Padres.

Davis extended his hitting streak to six games and tallied his third multi-hit game in that span. He's had an encouraging start to his big-league career and has shown the ability to contribute in multiple areas by tallying three extra-base hits and two stolen bases across 37 plate appearances. Davis' 27 percent strikeout is a bit inflated, but the Pirates have shown faith in one of their top young prospects as he's hit third in the lineup in consecutive contests.

Davis went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a loss to the Marlins on Thursday.

Davis' first big-league long ball was a no-doubter, leaving his bat at 100.5 mph and traveling an estimated 407 feet to left-center field. It was just the second hit of his major-league career, and he's now 2-for-12 with four strikeouts through four games. Though Davis appears to be locked into an everyday role with the Pirates, he has yet to play behind the plate since his call-up, making two starts in right field and two at DH.

Davis went 1-for-3 with a walk and a double Monday against the Cubs.

Davis doubled down the third base line in his first big-league at-bat but was ultimately stranded there. He hit seventh in his debut, though if he performs well he should move up the order quickly. The Pirates have stated that Davis will see most of his playing time in right field, which could have a number of consequences on the rest of the lineup, particularly placing Jack Suwinski and Connor Joe at risk of losing playing time.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that Davis, who will bat seventh in his MLB debut Monday against the Cubs, will see most of his in-game action in right field, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Pittsburgh still presumably views catcher as Davis' long-term home, but the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft will be making his debut as a right fielder Monday and as the No. 7 hitter in the lineup. Shelton indicated that Davis may catch some games and will keep getting reps behind the plate during team workouts, but the tandem of Austin Hedges and Jason Delay look poised to continue working as the Bucs' primary backstops. Before being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Davis had made just 15 career starts in the minors in right field, but he possesses enough athleticism to hold his own defensively at that position. Since he may already carry eligibility at catcher in some fantasy leagues, Davis makes for an appealing speculative pickup after he slashed an impressive .284/.433/.541 with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases in 232 plate appearances between stops at Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona this season.

The Pirates selected Davis' contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. He'll start in right field and bat seventh in Pittsburgh's series opener with the Cubs.

Though he was selected as a catcher with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft and played that position for most of his time in the minors, Davis will be making his MLB debut in the outfield. He got his feet wet in right field with 13 starts at the position between Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis this season, so he could end up eating into Connor Joe's playing time on days that he doesn't catch. The 23-year-old Davis hit .284/.433/.541 with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases over 232 plate appearances in the minors this season.

The Pirates plan to promote Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The 2021 first-round pick was promoted from Double-A Altoona to Indianapolis just two weeks ago, and he's now poised to make his MLB debut after posting a .946 OPS in 10 games at Triple-A. Austin Hedges has a .473 OPS while working as Pittsburgh's primary backstop this year, and Davis should represent a significant offensive upgrade as one of the top catching prospects in baseball. Davis has also made 13 starts in right field between Altoona and Indianapolis this season, giving him another avenue to playing time on days that he doesn't catch.