PITTSBURGH -- A day after having stitches removed from his surgically repaired left hand, Francisco Cervelli was back behind the plate at PNC Park.
Cervelli, recovering from surgery to remove a fractured hook of his hamate bone, went through a set of catching drills and ran the bases in the Saturday afternoon heat.
"He's excited," manager Clint Hurdle said. "When he's excited, I'm excited."
Wearing his full catcher's gear, Cervelli crouched behind home plate and caught several balls in his left hand, which remained lightly wrapped beneath his mitt. He also worked on blocking balls, deflecting bounces off all parts of his body.