CHICAGO — Pitt men's basketball coach Kevin Stallings got a surprise Father's Day present: a trip to Wrigley Field to see his son make his big league debut with the Pirates.
On Sunday, with catcher Chris Stewart nursing a sore left knee, rookie Jacob Stallings was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis.
After finding out late Saturday night that he was being promoted, Jacob Stallings called his dad in Pittsburgh.
“I tried to play him off a little bit,” Jacob Stallings said. “He had (Pitt) team camp and I asked him how long it was going to be. I said, ‘Any way you can get to Chicago tomorrow? I'm going up.' ”
Stallings' entire family flew to Chicago for the game. Stallings started and batted eighth.
“They actually got here before I did,” he said. “My dad came from Pittsburgh and the rest of my family from Nashville.”
Stallings' father tweeted a photo of the two of them standing outside Wrigley Field with the message, “Best Father's Day gift ever! Jacob reaches the major leagues. #proudpop”
Stallings filled the 40-man roster spot that opened Saturday when Juan Nicasio was placed on the restricted list. Infielder Jason Rogers was sent back to Indy to make space on the active roster.
Stallings, 26, hit .199 with a .582 OPS in 43 games with Indianapolis. A seventh-round pick in 2012 out of North Carolina, this was his first season at the Triple-A level.
With Stallings in the majors, Ed Easley becomes the everyday catcher at Indianapolis. His backup will be Tomas Morales, who was promoted from High-A Bradenton.
Tough time to be catcher
Although he wasn't placed on the disabled list, Stewart will be out of action for at least a couple of days.
It has been a rough week. Stewart has taken foul tips off his arm and foot, been drilled by a pitch in the side and jammed his ankle in a home-plate collision. He also tweaked his left kneecap, which is the most pressing concern.
“We need to give him some time down off that knee,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Hopefully, it's a minimal amount of time down. We'll see where we are (Monday).”
Starting catcher Francisco Cervelli went on the DL on June 11 after having surgery to repair a broken left hand. Top prospect Elias Diaz began the season on the DL due to a sore right elbow.
Erik Kratz started Saturday's game against the Cubs. Stewart was not available off the bench and his absence forced Hurdle into some tight spots when mulling pinch-hitting situations late in the game.
“It's not a very comfortable position to have one catcher,” Hurdle said. “It's not for lack of anything. It's just consequences, the hand you get dealt sometimes during a game.”
Until Stallings arrived, Sean Rodriguez was the unofficial emergency catcher. Rodriguez has never played an inning at the position or even caught a bullpen session.
“He's the most athletic defender we have,” Hurdle said. “He's the best option.”
Familiar faces
Although Stallings is new to the big leagues, he did see some familiar faces in the clubhouse, including right-hander Jameson Taillon.
“I caught him pretty much every time he's thrown in Triple-A this year,” Stallings said. “That makes it easier — not too much, but a little bit.”
At Indy, Stallings also worked with relievers Curtis Partch, Jorge Rondon and A.J. Schugel.
Around the horn
Indy outfielder Austin Meadows hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat Sunday and extended his hitting streak to 26 games. It's the longest streak by a Pirates minor leaguer since Raul Fortunado hit in 36 straight games in 2011. … The Pirates will not face another NL Central team until July 4, when they will open a four-game set against the Cardinals in St. Louis. … By beating the Pirates on Saturday, the Cubs extended their NL Central lead to 111⁄2 games — their biggest edge since division play began in 1969. Per fangraphs.com , the Cubs have a 99.9 percent chance of netting a playoff berth.
