Pirates’ Francisco Cervelli says he hopes ‘to catch again’

Francisco Cervelli, who hasn’t played since May 25 after suffering a sixth concussion, posted on Instagram on Friday that his catching career is not over.

“Saying that I quit from my catcher responsibilities is inaccurate,” he wrote. “My hope is to catch again.”

View this post on Instagram

“Saying that I quit from my catcher responsibilities is inaccurate. My hope is to catch again. Not being in the catcher spot right now is part of the process of recovery from several concussions that have forced me to stop and think about my health beyond my baseball years, that have made me reflect on my health and my life in general and how my decisions affect other people that want the best for me in the long run. I keep working hard, there’s no other way for me to do things. I love baseball but I also have to take care of myself. I want to take care of myself and have quality of life now and hopefully from many more years This requires to reinvent myself, have patience and keep working In other words, to my fans, rest assured that I am working hard on my recovery and I will come back with more strength and the same passion I have always had for this sport. That, I can assure you: I have nothing other than passion, gratitude and love for what I do, for this sport. This isn’t just a job for me. This is part of my life and I can’t live my life without injecting passion and energy, heart and mind into what I do, whatever that is. " Decir que “renuncié” a ser catcher es exagerado ?. . Que no esté en la receptoría ahora mismo, es parte de mi proceso de recuperación de varias contusiones que me han obligado a parar y pensar en mí mismo más allá de mi carrera; que me han hecho reflexionar sobre mi salud y mi vida, y que involucra a muchas personas que quieren lo mejor para mí ?. . Yo, por mi parte, sigo trabajando duro, no puedo hacerlo de otra forma. Amo el beisbol, pero también quiero cuidarme y vivir una vida de calidad ⚾. . Eso implica reinventarme, tener paciencia y seguir trabajando. . Así que tranquilos, que me estoy recuperando y regresaré con más fuerza ?? y las mismas ganas de siempre, porque eso sí tengo yo: ganas, pasión y amor por lo que hago ??. Esto no es un simple trabajo para mí, esto es parte de mi vida y yo no puedo vivir mi vida de otra manera que no sea poniéndole el corazón y pasión a lo que hago, sea lo que sea.

A post shared by Francisco Cervelli (@fran_cervelli) on Jul 12, 2019 at 5:39pm PDT

Cervelli’s words contradict a report from DKPittsburghSports.com on Sunday that said his days as a catcher are over.

Cervelli, who has been with the Pirates since 2015 and played almost exclusively behind the plate, said he is not catching presently to help the recovery process.

He wrote: “Not being in the catcher spot right now is part of the recovery from several concussions that have forced me to stop and think about my health beyond my baseball years, that have made me reflect on my health and my life in general and how my decisions affect other people that want the best for me in the long run.”

Cervelli, 33, has said he is willing to try other positions and has been taking grounders in the infield before games at PNC Park. Pirates general manager Neal Huntington has said the team has discussed with Cervelli the possibility of playing other positions, but the Pirates have not publicly ruled out putting him behind the plate again.

He is in the final year of his Pirates contract that pays him a team-high $11.5 million this season.

Also in his Instagram post, Cervelli expressed his love for the game.

“I have nothing other than passion, gratitude and love for what I do, for this sport,” he wrote. “This isn’t just a job for me. This is part of my life and I can’t live life without injecting passion and energy, heart and mind into what I do, whatever that is.”

To his fans, he wrote, “Rest assured that I am working hard on my recovery and I will come back with more strength and the same passion I have always had for this sport.”