Rafael Flores Jr. Starts at Catcher in Pirates' June 11 Finale

rafael flores jr. got the start at catcher for the Pirates on June 11 against the Dodgers and batted eighth. It was only his second MLB start behind the plate, and it came while Pittsburgh was down to its lone healthy and available catcher on the 40-man roster.

Flores Jr. in the lineup

The Pirates used Flores in the series finale after adding him to the roster June 10, giving him his first MLB stint of the season. He had spent his previous time with Triple-A Indianapolis, where he hit.207/.320/.324 in 53 games with a.644 OPS.

That Triple-A line included 39 hits in 188 at-bats, along with six doubles, two triples, four home runs, 27 RBI and 29 walks against 64 strikeouts. The batting-order spot mattered too: he was slotted eighth, a sign the Pirates were asking him to handle the position while contributing as a lower-half bat.

Pirates catcher depth

The spot opened because Henry Davis went on the Paternity List before the June 11 game, Endy Rodríguez left the Pirates' 9-8 win over the Dodgers on June 10 after the seventh inning, and Joey Bart remained on the 10-day injured list. That left Flores as the short-term answer behind the plate.

His second MLB start at catcher also carried some history. His first came in a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Sept. 23, 2025, so the June 11 assignment gave him another chance in a major league game that Pittsburgh needed to navigate with limited options.

June 10 trade context

Flores was part of the Pirates' 2025 deadline trade with the New York Yankees, a deal that sent former All-Star closer David Bednar to New York. That move now frames Pittsburgh's catching picture in a different way: Flores arrived as part of a major roster exchange, and on June 11 he was the player available to cover the position when the Pirates needed one.