PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You’ll get to know the Pirates new catcher quicker than anticipated. The team announcing back-up Jason Delay heads to the injured list with right knee inflammation. Joey Bart is added to the active roster Wednesday in Washington.
The 27-year-old Bart was San Francisco’s first-round selection in 2018. He played in a career-best 97 games in 2022, hitting .215 with 11 home runs in 261 at bats. Last season he played 30 MLB games with a .207 average with five doubles and no home runs. He has a career .990 fielding percentage and thrown out 23% of the runners trying to steal.
Bart played in 60 games with Triple A Sacramento last season hitting .248 with six homers and 12 doubles. The right-handed hitter has played in Pittsburgh before, he was the ACC Player of the Year at Georgia Tech and won the Johnny Bench Award, as the nation’s top catcher playing a total of eight games against the Panthers.
Following the series in Washington, the Bucs hold the Home Opener on Friday with first pitch on 93.7 The Fan at 4:12p.