A return to the minors gave Pirates catcher Jason Delay the hunger to stay in the majors

When the Pittsburgh Pirates optioned Jason Delay to Triple-A Indianapolis in mid-July to make room for Endy Rodriguez to become their starting catcher, Delay didn’t know if or when he would return.

“It was more wishful thinking than anything,” Delay said. “Definitely no promises. It was more hoping something would happen so I could find my way back to the big leagues.”

Delay’s response to the roster moves set the stage for his play last week at PNC Park, when he caught a combined two-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Sept. 14 and doubled to drive in the go-ahead run in a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday.

A little assist from the bag never hurt anybody ???? pic.twitter.com/t2a5xtrfyx

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 17, 2023

After tossing eight scoreless innings against the Nationals, Mitch Keller credited Delay for his pitch calling by leaning on the cutter against left-handed hitters, the sinker and four-seam fastball to set up the sweeper against righties and mixing in the curveball and changeup.

“JD did a great job picking spots to call them,” Keller said.

The 28-year-old Delay has made the most of his second chance. Known more for his defense, he is batting .252/.313/.351 with 10 doubles and 16 RBIs in 66 games while serving as the Pirates’ backup catcher.

“I definitely feel more confident every day, like when I come to the field I belong here,” Delay said. “I’m able to be a starter. Right now, I’m not getting as many reps, but I’m kind of embracing that role and just trying to help the team whenever I’m out there. It’s certainly not easy. It’s hard to get into a rhythm when you’re playing twice a week, but it is what it is and I’m embracing it.”

If anything, Delay’s demotion provided motivation. He was on the brink of quitting baseball in June 2022 when the Pirates made a surprising promotion.

Delay had packed his apartment and loaded his car before Indy’s scheduled trip to Gwinnett, Ga. — only 10 miles from his hometown of Duluth — when he was informed the Pirates needed him.

“I was ready to go home,” Delay said. “I wasn’t playing in Triple-A at all. We were going to Gwinnett, which is where I grew up. I was like, ‘If it gets to that point, it’s an easy decision for me. I’m going to pack everything up and I’m just not going to come back from that road trip.’

“On Friday, before we were leaving, they told me I was going to the big leagues. But it wasn’t like, ‘Hey, you’re getting called up.’ It was, ‘Hey, we need a bullpen catcher. (Jordan) Comadena has covid.’ ”

When the Pirates added Delay to their taxi squad, nothing changed. He still felt like a minor league player. Then reliever Duane Underwood Jr. tested positive for covid-19, and the Pirates activated Delay because he was the only player available on such short notice.

Delay went 0 for 2 with a walk in a 3-1 loss at St. Louis, then was optioned back to Indianapolis after the game. Less than three weeks later, backup catcher Tyler Heineman was placed on paternity leave when his daughter was born prematurely, and the Pirates recalled Delay.

Not only did he stick for the remainder of the season, but he beat out Heineman and Kevin Plawecki for the backup job to Austin Hedges in spring training. Delay was batting .304 on June 16 before he started to scuffle, hitting .120 (3 for 25) in a 17-game stretch over the next month.

Returning to Indianapolis lit a fire in Delay, who slashed .357/.419/.500 with four doubles and five RBIs in eight games before the Pirates traded Hedges to the Texas Rangers at the deadline.

“It was a little bit of an eye-opening experience for me,” Delay said. “I hadn’t been in the minor leagues in quite some time, so I went back down there — not that I’m taking anything for granted here — I was like, ‘OK, I had it really, really good.’ It kind of gave me that hunger to get back up here and, really, never be back in the minor leagues again.”