PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes bounced back from the worst start of his career and teamed up with catcher Henry Davis to make a little history as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals 10-3 on Monday night.

Skenes and Davis became the first pitcher/catcher battery in major league history, comprising players selected No. 1 in the draft. Skenes (2-1), the top pick in 2023, gave up two runs, one earned, and struck out six in six innings as the Pirates ended a three-game losing streak.

Davis, selected No. 1 in 2021, singled after replacing injured starter Endy Rodriguez in the first inning. Rodriguez lacerated the index finger on his right hand after a Skenes pitch hit James Wood‘s foot and deflected toward Rodriguez.

It hasn’t been as smooth of a ride to the majors for Davis that it was for Skenes, but perhaps this is the year the 25-year-old, who had a standout career at Louisville, sticks with the big club. Just when it seemed he might have the inside track on the starting catcher job last season, the Pirates landed Joey Bart, who took over the club’s primary duties behind the plate.

“(Henry) can call a game,” Skenes said after the win. “He was prepared. It’s not a surprise. I’ve been with him for the better part of two years now. You want to see why he’s the type of player he is, you don’t have to look very far. For him to come into a tough situation, call the game and catch as well as he did says a lot about it.”

There might be a window now to gain additional starts at catcher. After the win, Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters that Rodriguez needed four stitches for a laceration on his right index finger, and that a trip to the injured list seemed likely.

“Just being ready to jump in, and know what (Skenes) wanted to do, and be on his page pretty quickly,” Davis said of his preparation for Monday’s moment, “that was the goal.”

The 22-year-old Skenes, who gave up a career-worst five runs in a loss to St. Louis last week, had little trouble with the Nationals. The reigning National League Rookie of the Year’s only real issue was with Pittsburgh’s defense, including his own. Skenes was tagged with a pair of errors for wayward pickoff attempts, the second of which led to an unearned run in the sixth.

By then, however, the Pirates were comfortably ahead, a rarity during an ugly opening two-plus weeks to the season filled with missteps.

Oneil Cruz had two hits and scored twice while batting leadoff. Enmanuel Valdez and Ke’Bryan Hayes both drove in three runs. Bryan Reynolds drove in a pair of runs. Andrew McCutchen added a hit and made a pretty sliding grab in right field, flinging his 38-year-old body to the PNC Park turf to rob Keibert Ruiz of a hit in the sixth.

Nasim Nunez had two of Washington’s five hits. Brad Lord (0-1) slogged through 4⅓ innings, giving up four runs, three earned, and six hits with three walks and a strikeout.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been named the captain of Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said Monday.

Judge will be making his WBC debut. He did not play in the WBC in 2023 when Team USA, also managed by DeRosa, lost to Japan in the title game. Angels star Mike Trout served as captain of that team.

“Just getting a chance to represent this country, what this country means to me,” Judge told MLB Network. “Honestly, every game, during the national anthem [and] ‘God Bless America,’ getting a chance to sit out there, for me it’s a time to reflect about all the brave men and women that have fought for this country and given me the opportunity to step on a baseball field and play a game that I love.

“Now, getting a chance to have ‘USA’ across my chest and represent all the great people in our country and represent what this country means, it’s a great opportunity. I never had this opportunity before, even growing up as a kid, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Judge, who turns 33 on April 26, is the first player to be named to the team.

“I got an opportunity before I get too old and Mark doesn’t want me anymore,” Judge said at Yankee Stadium later Monday.

The reigning American League MVP — his second — is off to another hot start in 2025, hitting .357 with six home runs and 20 RBIs through his first 15 games. The six-time All-Star and three-time AL home run leader has 321 home runs and 736 RBIs with a career batting average of .289 since entering the majors in 2016.

ALL RISE.

Aaron Judge will play #ForGlory🇺🇸 in the 2026 World Baseball Classic! pic.twitter.com/C4HM9foyjl

— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) April 14, 2025

Judge, who said he declined to play in the 2023 tournament after having just gone through free agency and being named Yankees captain, said he did not give the Yankees advance notice of his selection this time around.

“I felt like first my responsibility [in 2023] was to the Yankees,” Judge said. “I wanted to be a big part of getting the Yankees back where they need to be, so I felt I couldn’t miss that first spring training.”

Said Yankees manager Aaron Boone: “I think it’s the perfect face to be captain of Team USA.”

DeRosa said he told Trout about his decision to go with Judge as captain on Sunday.

“I reached out to Trout yesterday, told him where we were going,” DeRosa said. “He said, `He’s the one.'”

Teams have been more reticent to allow starting pitchers to participate in the preseason tournament.

“From a position-player standpoint I could probably fill out five lineups with guys that want to do it,” DeRosa said. “It’ll be the pitching that we have to lock down.”

Former Yankees star Andy Pettitte will be serving as pitching coach on DeRosa ‘s staff.

The World Baseball Classic will run from March 5 to March 17, 2026. Games will take place in Houston, Miami, Tokyo and San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the semifinals and championship game in Miami.

The U.S. will be with Britain, Brazil, Italy and Mexico in Group B of the first round at Houston’s Minute Maid Park from March 6-11.

“Something happens when you put U-S-A across your chest and you walk into the dugout and you see all those games,” DeRosa said. “You’re playing for way more than yourself. You’re playing for your great-grandfather. You’re planning for your grandparents, your parents, what they represent, your morals, your values, everything.”

Team USA last won the World Baseball Classic in 2017.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.

MINNEAPOLIS — New York Mets outfielder Jose Siri is headed to the injured list with a broken left leg.

Siri fouled a pitch off the leg Saturday against the Athletics and had to be carted off the field. An initial X-ray was negative, but Siri underwent an MRI on Monday that showed a fractured tibia.

“We’ve got to get more information before we know how long he’s going to be out, but he’s going to be out for a while,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the Mets beat Minnesota 5-1 on Monday night.

A roster move is expected Tuesday.

Siri was using crutches for the second straight day.

“It’s obviously disappointing whenever something like that happens, but we’re not going to get too ahead of ourselves, probably get it re-evaluated within the next week,” Siri said through an interpreter. “I’m a quick healer so hopefully something good can come out of it.”

Acquired from Tampa Bay in a November trade, Siri is 1-for-20 this season and hitless in his last 16 at-bats. But he is a fast runner and plays strong defense. He scored from third Friday on a sacrifice fly to shallow right field.

Tyrone Taylor has started in center field for New York the past two games.