For the past few months the Pirates have tried unsuccessfully to trade Ryan Doumit and his $5.1 million contract for 2011, but now the catcher/outfielder is sidelined by an oblique injury.
Doumit was scratched from yesterday’s game after feeling soreness while taking batting practice and there’s no timetable yet for his return, with Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com correctly noting that “oblique injuries often have a tendency to linger.”
Several teams are in the market for catching help following early injuries, but Doumit’s name hasn’t really been linked to many trade rumors at any point and a typical recovery period for an oblique strain would all but rule out the Pirates being able to move him before Opening Day.