Endu Rodriguez made his first Major League appearance since June of 2025, and he responded by going 2-for-3,including a double and a two-run single, to lift the Pirates to a 7-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
Of course Ryan O’Hearn continued producing as well, as he went 3-for-4 with his 7th dinger of the season, lifting his average to .299, and Konnor Griffin and Jared Triolo also has two hits, but the big story was absolutley Rodriguez.
He was once one of the top players in Pittsburgh’s
farm system, and the Bucs and Bucs fans had pretty big expectations for the guy. But he’s been struggling with elbow injuries since 2024, and his future was essentially murky at best.
But with this return — and he played catcher — the Pirates could potentially add a bat at one of their weakest positions at the plate. Henry Davis is hitting just .151 with 2 homers, while Joey Bart hits .259 but also has just 2 homers and has been out of the lineup lately with injuries. If the Bucs could add some punch to that lineup spot, this makes a much-improved offense that much more dangerous.
ESPN recently named the Bucs as one of six teams they felt could beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in a series, due to their strength at pitching and the fact they could trot out Paul Skenes twice in a series, and while I agree that Pittsburgh’s biggest strength is on the starter’s mound, it’s likely Pittsburgh’s offense that makes the difference. The Bucs are currently tied for fourth in the MLB in runs scored — yes, even higher than the Dodgers. If they can also start getting production out of that spot in the lineup, if Endy can return to even a partial bit of what was initially expected of him, the Bucs really could be that tough to beat in a playoff series.
Welcome back, Endy.
Bucs fans, tell us in the comments how you’re feeling about having Endy back.
