The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that Francisco Cervelli will be starting a rehab assignment tonight with the Indianapolis Indians. The catcher is recovering from hamate surgery on his left hand. Position players can spend up to 20 days on rehab assignment, which means that Cervelli will return no later than August 2nd. Neal Huntington talked before the break about how they probably wouldn’t be starting Cervelli on a regular basis at first when he returned. They could use the rehab time to build him back up a bit, reducing the need for a third catcher on the roster when he first returns.
The Pirates are getting a lot of catching depth back now, with Elias Diaz also progressing in his rehab. Diaz will play his first full game on Saturday, and will go to Altoona after that game to continue his rehab work. Chris Stewart could also begin his rehab soon.
