Pirates' Cervelli says he's done catching due to concussions

Pittsburgh Pirates veteran Francisco Cervelli is making a big change. The 33-year-old said Sunday that he'll no longer play the catcher position.

"That's enough," Cervelli told Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports. "This time is different. I can't live like this."

Cervelli has been on the injured list since May due to a concussion, his sixth since his major-league debut in 2008. His latest one occurred after taking a foul tip off his mask during a May 25 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He added that the Pirates did not influence the decision.

Cervelli has appeared in 663 career games at catcher compared to 19 contests split between first, second, and third base. No decision has been made as to where he'll slot in defensively going forward, but he expects to find out at Triple-A when he gets final clearance as early as next week.

"I'm ready to do anything," he said. "Wherever I am in the field, I'm still catching the ball, right?"

Elias Diaz and Jacob Stallings have filled in behind the plate in Cervelli's absence.