C Chris Stewart (various) didn't play Wednesday, when the Pirates fell to the Mets 11-2. Stewart absorbed a beating Tuesday night, when he was hit in the head, elbow and side while catching during the Pirates? 4-0 win. The Pirates were concerned he might have suffered a concussion when Mets LF Juan Lagares hit him in the side of the head with his bat during a backswing, but Stewart passed three concussion tests. Stewart is batting .197 with one homer and six RBIs in 24 games this season.

C Chris Stewart got the night off due to various nicks and bruises. He passed a concussion test after being hit by Lagares' backswing on Tuesday.

C Chris Stewart was available off the bench but did not get into the game. There was some concern he might need to go on the DL. He left Friday's game because of left ankle soreness.

C Chris Stewart made it two catchers down for the Pirates in as many nights. He left after a play at the plate in the seventh inning Saturday when pinch-runner Jeremy Hazelbaker hit him near his left ankle, where had fouled off a couple of balls in the previous couple of games. "It wasn't quite the same spot," Stewart said. "Kind of two foul balls taken off it in the past three days, there's fluid in there, stiffness, and the guy slid in and kind of aggravated everything we cleared out this morning. So, it's one of those things where he ran into something that's been bugging me and it made it worse."

C Chris Stewart gave Francisco Cervelli a day off and gave the offense a lift with two RBI, including a double down the left field line that put the Pirates on the board in the fifth inning. Stewart capped the scoring with a run-producing single in the ninth, enabling him to double his RBI total for the year and enjoy his first multi-RBI game since Sept. 11, 2015 against Milwaukee.

C Chris Stewart will once again catch ace Gerrit Cole in Thursday's series finale. Manager Clint Hurdle said the two have a solid bond, but that Cole won't exclusively throw to Stewart. "Some people just have a better connection with certain people,'' Hurdle said. "I have it now with my third wife. I didn't have that with my first two.'' Francisco Cervelli will also catch Cole going forward. But Hurdle likes what he sees in Stewart. "He's a student of the game,'' he said.

C Chris Stewart will catch LHP Gerrit Cole in Thursday's series finale, manager Clint Hurdle said Wednesday.

LF Starling Marte smacked his second home run of the season in the sixth inning Tuesday off Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez. His first homer was a grand slam off Cincinnati RHP J.J. Hoover on Friday. The cleanup hitter, who added a double in the ninth, is hitting .440 over his last six games following an 0-for-8 start. He is one of only two Pirates -- along with C Chris Stewart -- to homer through the first eight games.

C Chris Stewart hadn't appeared in a game this season, but he made the most of his first at-bat on Sunday with a solo home run off Reds rookie Tim Melville. Stewart will get more appearances behind the plate to give Francisco Cervelli a rest in day games.

Stewart went 3-for-4 with three RBI against the Brewers on Friday.

The big night gave Stewart a .294 batting average in 143 at-bats, matching his 2014 mark. Stewart has caught 336 innings, giving starter Francisco Cervelli (931 innings) a capable backup. That said, Stewart is still looking for his first homer since 2013 and holds just a .669 OPS.

Getting the start with Francisco Cervelli DHing, Stewart went 3-for-7 with a run scored Tuesday.

The backup catcher has handled the bat well this season in limited action, posting a .288 batting average in 87 at-bats this season. He's still firmly behind Cervelli on the depth chart.

Stewart started behind the plate on Sunday and went 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI in a Pirates win.

Stewart was activated from the disabled list on Friday and was able to produce in his first start of the season on Sunday as he spelled starting catcher Francisco Cervelli. There is nothing to suggest that Cervelli is in danger of losing his starting gig at the moment, but Stewart was able to surpass his RBI total on the season with one swing of the bat. Cervelli will likely remain the starter for now but Stewart certainly has the potential to earn a bigger piece of this timeshare.

Stewart (hamstring) was activated from the DL on Friday, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Bill Brink reports.

Stewart will now assume the backup catcher role with the Pirates, getting in the lineup once or twice per week. Tony Sanchez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis as a corresponding move.

Stewart (hamstring) has had no setbacks at Triple-A Indianapolis and should come off the DL on Friday, the Pittsburgh Tribune's Rob Biertempfel reports.

Stewart appears pegged for the the backup catching role in Pittsburgh once he's healthy. Francisco Cervelli is the clear starter, but if the first eight games are any indication, Stewart should be in line to catch once every four days.

Stewart (hamstring) was moved to AAA Indianapolis to make a rehab assignment, the Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

It is unclear exactly how many appearances Stewart will have before being activated from the disabled list. Stewart had one rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Thursday. When he does come back, he should take over the backup catcher position behind Francisco Cervelli.

Stewart (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Thursday, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

It's not clear how many rehab games Stewart will need before being activated from the disabled list, but he should be ready for big league action at some point in the next week or two. When he is ready to go, Stewart will likely replace Tony Sanchez as the backup catcher behind Francisco Cervelli.

Stewart (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Stewart is currently seeing work in the minors while rehabbing a right hamstring strain. When he's ready, he'll challenge Tony Sanchez for the role of primary backup to Francisco Cervelli.

Stewart (hamstring) caught five innings in a minor league game Thursday, MLB.com reports.

A right hamstring strain will force Stewart onto the disabled list to start the year. Considering the nature of the injury and his position, it makes sense that the team wouldn't want to push him too aggressively, though it does look like Stewart may make it back shortly after his earliest possible activation date given his progress. Tony Sanchez will open the season as the backup to Francisco Cervelli behind the plate.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington said Monday that Stewart (hamstring) will begin the season on the disabled list, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"If we push it too aggressively, we turn two to four weeks into six to eight, and that's the last thing we want to do," Huntington said. Tony Sanchez will take Stewart's spot on the roster.

Stewart (hamstring) is taking batting practice Tuesday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stewart is in danger of opening his season on the disabled list, in which case Tony Sanchez would break camp as the backup catcher. Even if he isn't ready to start the season, Stewart should be available within the first few weeks.