Pirates’ Endy Rodríguez Out for Season After Elbow Surgery
By Dominic Campbell
The Pittsburgh Pirates will finish the 2025 campaign without catcher Endy Rodríguez, whose year was cut short after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery.
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk announced that Rodríguez recently had an ulnar nerve transposition performed on his right elbow to relieve persistent pain. The procedure was carried out at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles by Dr. Steve Shin and Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Rodríguez is expected to make a full recovery in time for Spring Training 2026.
This marks the second major operation on Rodríguez’s throwing arm in just over a year. Following the 2023 winter ball season, he underwent reconstructive surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and flexor tendon. That setback cost him nearly the entire 2024 season, in which he appeared in only 10 minor league games.
Rodríguez’s 2025 campaign began with optimism, but injuries quickly derailed it. He last started for the Pirates on June 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies, leaving after the first inning with discomfort in his right elbow. The next day, Pittsburgh placed him on the 10-day injured list, later moving him to the 60-day IL.
Earlier in the season, Rodríguez also suffered a laceration on his right index finger after taking a Paul Skenes curveball off his hand on April 14 against the Washington Nationals. That injury required stitches and sidelined him until mid-May.
In total, Rodríguez played 18 games for the Pirates in 2025, slashing .173/.246/.250 with four doubles, two RBIs, and an OPS of .496. He split time between catcher (eight starts), first base (nine starts), and designated hitter (one start).
With Rodríguez out, the Pirates will rely on Henry Davis and Joey Bart to handle catching duties for the final stretch of the season. Pittsburgh has 39 games remaining as they look to finish strong despite losing one of their key defensive players.