Pirates' Cervelli: Never said I don't want to catch

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli denies he wants to stop playing the position, saying Saturday it "was a misunderstanding."

Last Sunday, Cervelli was quoted as telling DKPittsburghSports.com "that's enough" after suffering his sixth documented concussion in the major leagues.

"This time is different," Cervelli was quoted as saying. "I can't live like this."

On Saturday, however, Cervelli said he was misquoted and that he "never had an official interview."

"I never said that I don't want to catch," Cervelli told reporters Saturday after saying the same in an Instagram post Friday night. "That was a misunderstanding. It never came from my mouth."

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"Saying that I quit from my catcher responsibilities is inaccurate. My hope is to catch again. Not being in the catcher spot right now is part of the process of recovery from several concussions that have forced me to stop and think about my health beyond my baseball years, that have made me reflect on my health and my life in general and how my decisions affect other people that want the best for me in the long run. I keep working hard, there's no other way for me to do things. I love baseball but I also have to take care of myself. I want to take care of myself and have quality of life now and hopefully from many more years This requires to reinvent myself, have patience and keep working In other words, to my fans, rest assured that I am working hard on my recovery and I will come back with more strength and the same passion I have always had for this sport. That, I can assure you: I have nothing other than passion, gratitude and love for what I do, for this sport. This isn't just a job for me. This is part of my life and I can't live my life without injecting passion and energy, heart and mind into what I do, whatever that is. " Decir que "renuncié" a ser catcher es exagerado 😐. . Que no esté en la receptoría ahora mismo, es parte de mi proceso de recuperación de varias contusiones que me han obligado a parar y pensar en mí mismo más allá de mi carrera; que me han hecho reflexionar sobre mi salud y mi vida, y que involucra a muchas personas que quieren lo mejor para mí 🙂. . Yo, por mi parte, sigo trabajando duro, no puedo hacerlo de otra forma. Amo el beisbol, pero también quiero cuidarme y vivir una vida de calidad ⚾. . Eso implica reinventarme, tener paciencia y seguir trabajando. . Así que tranquilos, que me estoy recuperando y regresaré con más fuerza 💪🏽 y las mismas ganas de siempre, porque eso sí tengo yo: ganas, pasión y amor por lo que hago 🤛🏼. Esto no es un simple trabajo para mí, esto es parte de mi vida y yo no puedo vivir mi vida de otra manera que no sea poniéndole el corazón y pasión a lo que hago, sea lo que sea.

A post shared by Francisco Cervelli (@fran_cervelli) on Jul 12, 2019 at 5:39pm PDT

Dejan Kovacevic, who wrote the initial Cervelli story for DKPittsburghSports.com, stood by it Saturday.

"Cervelli and I have communicated countless times over the years and in all kinds of forms, and we've done so year-round," Kovacevic wrote. "When he's wanted to go off the record -- which he's done a ton -- he'd say so in the clearest terms. In the case of our conversation last week, he passionately stated the following: 'That's enough. This time is different. I can't live like this.' He also offered vivid, excruciating detail of what he'd been through in his most recent concussion. And he never added that he wanted anything off the record."

Cervelli, 33, has been getting work at third base and other infield positions after being cleared to resume baseball activity.

"There's a lot of people asking me and telling me, 'Hey, this is a tough decision.' I said, 'No, no, no. Hold on. I have a goal here,'" Cervelli said Saturday. "I want to be normal. I want to recover.

"I've been working everywhere. I'm doing everything. They need a mascot, I'll be the mascot. I just want to be up there. The past week watching the games, the adrenaline has come back. It's hard for me. I want to be able to contribute to a team and win."

In his 12th major league season, Cervelli has started 10 games at first base during his career and appeared in 13 games at the position in all. He also has played at third base (four games) and second (two games) in the majors. He has started 613 games at catcher.

A career .269 hitter, Cervelli is hitting .193 with a home run and five RBIs in 34 games this season.

"We have to be open to the fact that maybe third base or first base or right field or a bat off the bench or maybe he becomes a regular somewhere at each of those [positions]," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington told reporters on Sunday.