Pirates' No. 1 pick Henry Davis goes on IL with oblique injury, could miss rest of season

Henry Davis, picked No. 1 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, is on the injured list with a right oblique strain that could bring a premature end to his first professional season.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk confirmed Wednesday that Davis was placed on the minor league seven-day IL and had a follow-up exam Wednesday while the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers were in Asheville, N.C.

“We’re still in the process of learning,” Tomczyk said. “We’ll probably get further diagnostics in the coming days to get a true prognosis, but that is correct: Henry Davis unfortunately sustained a right oblique strain.”

The 21-year-old Davis, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound catcher from Louisville, signed for a $6.5 million bonus and was assigned to Greensboro after two games in the Florida Complex League. Davis was batting .308 (8 for 26) with a 1.195 OPS, two doubles, a triple, three home runs and seven RBIs in eight games for the Grasshoppers.

Tomczyk also confirmed that oblique injuries in position players typically require 28 days of rest. That would prevent Davis from returning before Greensboro’s last game, on Sept. 19 at Hudson Valley.

“Right now, that’s why we’re learning more about the MRI,” Tomczyk said. “That will help us get a true, definitive prognosis, but what we know now is he sustained a right oblique and he’s on the seven-day IL, so at least he won’t be active for seven. At this stage we anticipate it being a bit longer.”