Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Delay underwent surgery on his ailing right knee, according to Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk. The expectation is that Delay will return to full baseball activities in about six weeks.
The procedure, which was described as a “meniscal cleanup,” was conducted by Dr. Keith Meister earlier in the week after the Pirates received a second opinion.
The Pirates placed Delay on the 10-day injured list on Apr. 3 with right knee inflammation. He appeared in one game for the Pirates this year before he was sidelined.
Delay has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Pirates and he appeared in a career-high 70 games last season. In 128 games since his debut in 2022, Delay has accumulated a .231/.293/.308 batting line with 17 doubles, a pair of home runs and 30 RBIs.
Delay has developed a solid reputation amongst the Pirates’ pitching staff with his abilities behind the plate. For his career, he has amassed four defensive runs saved and is a well above-average pitcher framer. He’s caught 15% of attempted base stealers.
In Delay’s absence, the Pirates’ catching duties will continue to be held by Henry Davis and Joey Bart. The Pirates acquired Bart to take the place of Delay on the roster after he was placed on the IL.
Yasmani Grandal, who has begun a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis, is also getting closer to a return. Grandal was placed on the injured list with plantar fasciitis at the onset of the season.
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