Michael McKenry (knee) practiced sliding Wednesday and said it was his last hurdle before being cleared for game action.

It was the first time McKenry slid since July 27, when he tore the meniscus in his left knee sliding into second base. He'll play his first game since the injury Thursday in a Rockies intrasquad contest. The non-roster invite is trying to make the team as a backup catcher.

Rockies signed C Michael McKenry to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

McKenry can earn a $750,000 salary if he cracks the Rockies' major league roster. The 28-year-old catcher is a .223/.291/.376 career hitter in the bigs. He will be battling for the backup job this spring in camp, but Jordan Pacheco would seem to have the inside track.

Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com reports that Michael McKenry is drawing some interest.

McKenry was non-tendered by the Pirates last month after an injury-plagued season that saw him bat just .217/.262/.348 with three homers over 41 games. He hit 12 longballs in 88 games the year prior, though, so he'd be a good option as a backup somewhere.

Pirates non-tendered C Michael McKenry.

It's a mere formality after he was designated for assignment earlier Monday. McKenry hit just .217/.262/.348 in 2013, but he slugged 12 homers in 88 games in 2012 and should land on his feet as a backup somewhere.

Pirates designated C Michael McKenry for assignment.

The move cleared a roster spot for new catcher Chris Stewart, who was acquired from the Yankees on Monday morning for a player to be named later. McKenry hit just .217 with a .610 OPS in 122 plate appearances this year.

Michael McKenry has qualified as a Super Two and will be arbitration-eligible this offseason.

The 28-year-old catcher had just enough service time to make the cut. McKenry got paid the major league minimum in 2013 while hitting .217/.262/.348 in 41 games. He underwent season-ending knee surgery in July.

Pirates transferred C Michael McKenry from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

It's just a procedural move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. McKenry underwent knee surgery last month and is out for the season.

Michael McKenry underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

McKenry is expected to be ready for the start of spring training next February. He wound up batting .217/.262/.348 in 45 games this season for the Pirates.

Pirates placed C Michael McKenry on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left knee.

McKenry suffered the injury Saturday while sliding into second base and could be sidelined for an extended period of time. Alex Presley was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding 25-man roster move.

Michael McKenry could require a trip to the disabled list after injuring his left knee on a slide into second base Saturday.

The Pirates have added Tony Sanchez to the taxi quad in case they need to make a roster move. McKenry is currently receiving treatment on the knee and it's not clear when the club will make a decision about his status.

Michael McKenry homered in the seventh and eighth innings as the Pirates came back to beat the Reds 10-7 on Sunday.

The Pirates scored all 10 of their runs in those two frames after originally falling down 5-0. McKenry was a really nice player for the Pirates last year, hitting .233/.320/.442 with 12 homers and 39 RBI in 240 at-bats, but he's started just two of 12 games this year following the Russell Martin signing. The Pirates need to use him more frequently.

Michael McKenry went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in a losing effort against the Reds on Saturday.

McKenry is suddenly having a very nice season. He was moved into the fifth spot in the Pittsburgh lineup for Saturday's game and responded by drilling a Mike Leake fastball over the wall in left field. The catcher is now hitting .285 with 11 homers and 28 RBI, and is worth a look as a second backstop for owners in deeper mixed fantasy leagues.

Michael McKenry blasted his seventh home run of the season, leading the Pirates to a 3-1 victory over the Giants on Saturday.

He finished the game 2-for-3 with the solo blast off Ryan Vogelsong in the fourth inning. The 27-year-old backup catcher is enjoying a bit of a breakout season, batting .252 with seven homers and 18 RBI in just 103 at-bats on the season. Should he start to steal the lion's share of at-bats away from Rod Barajas, he may have value in NL-only formats.

Michael McKenry hit a three-run homer in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals.

McKenry's fourth-inning bomb off of Jake Westbrook was his sixth of the season, three of which have come in his past five games. Despite the recent power surge, McKenry is still a poor own in standard-sized NL-only leagues.

Michael McKenry launched a solo home run off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough to deliver a victory over the Phillies.

McKenry finished the night 3-for-3, raising his average to .224. His ninth-inning home run brought the Pirates to within one, but it was as close as they would get. The 28-year-old backstop isn't worth owning in all but the deepest of NL-only fantasy leagues, but he has provided some big hits in a reserve role this year for the Buccos.

Michael McKenry hit his second home run of the season Tuesday, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Marlins.

He finished the night 1-for-3 and is only hitting .195 with two home runs and two RBI on the season. McKenry isn't relevant in any sort of fantasy leagues.

Pirates acquired C Michael McKenry from the Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash.

Pittsburgh needed a catcher desperately with Ryan Doumit potentially out until the end of July and Chris Snyder perhaps out for the season. McKenry, 26, has played in only six major league games. He hit .280 with a .370 OBP in 28 games this season for Triple-A Pawtucket and has a .268/.337/.425 line with 13 homers in 127 career Triple-A games. McKenry will join the Pirates immediately but doesn't have any fantasy relevance despite a chance for early at-bats.

Red Sox acquired C Michael McKenry from the Rockies for RHP Daniel Turpen.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein denied initial reports of a deal, but it went down, anyway. McKenry, 26, spent a bit of time in the big leagues at the end of last season and tallied 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 99 games at the Triple-A level. He will act as depth for the Red Sox this season behind major league catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek.

Red Sox acquired C Michael McKenry from the Rockies for RHP Daniel Turpen.

McKenry, 26, spent a bit of time in the big leagues at the end of last season and tallied 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 99 games at Triple-A. He will act as depth for the Red Sox this season behind major league catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek.

Rockies recalled C Michael McKenry from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

McKenry was already on the 40-man roster and can provide the Rox with catching depth down the stretch. The 25-year-old was batting .265/.328/.424 with 10 homers and 49 RBI in 99 games at the Triple-A level.