With catcher Ryan Doumit deemed ready for action again after a three-game rehabilitation stint in Class AA Altoona, the Pirates activated Doumit and sent struggling catcher Ronny Paulino to Class AAA Indianapolis.
The news didn't come as a surprise to Paulino, who was batting .218 with two home runs and 18 RBI but has started only one of the last seven games behind the plate.
"Those two guys they're going to have here (Doumit and Chavez) they've been doing such a great job. And I don't think it's a surprise because they've been taking care of their opportunity. They've been playing really well and I just have to focus on myself and work hard."
It's a lack of hard work that some have speculated is the reason Paulino is on his way back to Indianapolis in the first place. Listed at 6-2, 240 pounds, the 27-year-old Paulino has always been a defensive liability and after hitting .310 as a rookie in 2006, his offense has slid off considerably as well.
"We put together a detailed package to send down with him as far as defense goes, conditioning, hitting, just to get him back to where he can be to work and be the major-league catcher he can be," Pirates manager John Russell said. "We're definitely not giving up on him. We'd just like to see him play more and get some more reps in.
"Also to put together the plan we put out for him so that he can follow that and improve in a lot of areas he needs to improve in and get himself back here to be a major-league pitcher."
Well, as Russell put it, if Paulino can't play defense, isn't in shape and can't hit, it might be a long, long time before we see Paulino back in a Pirates uniform.
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