Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Elias Díaz is being shut down from all baseball activities while he fights an “undisclosed virus.”
Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Wednesday morning that Díaz is being evaluated “week to week” and that he could open the season on the IL.
Díaz, 28, has become more and more valuable to the Pirates in the past couple of years. He appeared in 82 games last season, batting .256 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI in 252 at-bats.
Thankfully for Pittsburgh, 32-year-old veteran Francisco Cervelli is still going strong and should be able to shoulder the load until Díaz makes his return.