DENVER -- No one will say it, but it is clear that part of what they mean when they praise Raul Chavez, the Pirates' backup catcher, is this:

He is not Ronny Paulino.

Chavez, clearly relishing a second major league life at age 35, can be seen daily on the field early each afternoon tossing an oversized medicine ball -- more like a wrecking ball -- with strength coach Frank Velasquez, and that is only a small part of his regimen: He lifts, runs, swings, throws and studies without peer.

"It might be the first time in my baseball life that I've seen a backup catcher working that hard," said bullpen coach Luis Dorante, also the catching instructor. "Nothing but extra work, day after day, on the road and in Pittsburgh. He never stops."

What kind of signal might that send to others?

"It's very special to have it. The guys see it and, hopefully, they follow it."

Chavez sees it as anything but special, from his standpoint. He appeared in only 169 major league games before this season, and this is his first sustained activity since 2004. He was a clear No. 3 in spring training but, in the first week after he was cut, he was seen one day at Bradenton's Pirate City being by far the most vocal and enthusiastic player in minor league camp.

"It's simple for me," Chavez said. "They sent me down, and I went to Indy to work hard to get back here. When I got my chance to show those guys what I could do, that's what I did."

Which might explain why, when Jason Michaels hit that dramatic home run last Saturday, Michaels and others were quick to credit Chavez for coming in cold as a pinch-hitter, overcoming an 0-2 count and getting the single that set up the victory.

"When you don't play every day, you have to keep your body moving," Chavez said. "I come here every day to play the game. That's the job of the backup catcher."

Chavez's performance has been sound, if unspectacular, in all facets since his promotion May 14: He is batting .239, including .385 against left-handers and .294 with men in scoring position, and he has used his strong arm to throw out four of nine runners trying to steal.

Paulino, the Pirates' starter the past two seasons, was demoted to Indianapolis in May with management challenging him to improve his conditioning and habits.

Phil Dumatrait still has not resumed throwing because of continuing discomfort in his left shoulder and is not likely to pitch when he is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday.

Manager John Russell said Dumatrait, who is rehabilitating in Bradenton, now will need two minor league starts rather than one to get ready. But there will be no timetable for those, either, until he is cleared to throw.

• Fox Sports reported yesterday that the Pirates scouted a minor league game involving David Price, the pitcher who was the No. 1 overall draft pick last year by Tampa Bay. Price is not available, but others on Class AA Montgomery might be. The Rays are one of three teams known to be deeply interested in outfielder Xavier Nady, along with the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, and the Rays are deeper in prospects than the other two.

• Reliever John Grabow was cleared to pitch after getting nine days off to rest a tired arm. He balked initially, but management insisted. "No point going out there if you're going to hurt the team," he said. "But I take pride in taking the ball, too."

• Runelvys Hernandez, whom the Pirates mashed for 10 runs in four innings July 7, is Houston's scheduled starter Monday even though the Astros demoted him to the minors immediately after that blowout.

• Russell said management still has not decided the Pirates' starter for Monday, though John Van Benschoten remains in line.