BRADENTON, Fla. — Elias Diaz is likely to begin the season on the injured list.
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Tuesday that Diaz is "week-to-week" with a virus, but declined to elaborate on the nature of the infection.
Diaz has sat out spring training workouts and drills since last Wednesday. It seems unlikely he would be ready for the season opener March 28 against the Reds at Cincinnati.
Playing backup to Francisco Cervelli, Diaz provided a valuable boost to the team last season, appearing in 82 games and hitting .286/.339/.452 with 10 home runs.
Beyond Cervelli and Diaz, the Pirates have two other catchers in camp with limited major-league experience. Jacob Stallings has played in 24 games and Steven Baron has made six appearances.