A word or two about catching.
The Baltimore Orioles today recalled backup catcher Steve Clevenger and designated Ryan Lavarnway for assignment. If you didn’t really know, that’s what DFA stands for. Lavarnway had hit .107 with no home runs or RBI in 10 games.
It’s the chicken-or-the-egg thing. The wisdom says he didn’t hit because he didn’t get enough at-bats, but that was because … he was the backup catcher. In 10 games, there aren’t many at-bats to be had, anyway. According to MASN, he’d been an NCAA batting champion and was a high-level Red Sox prospect once upon a time.