Alen Hanson has been out for the past five games due to an unknown reason. John Dreker reported that it wasn’t injury related. Today, Cory Giger reported that Hanson was out due to undisclosed disciplinary reasons.
SS Alen Hanson must be buried deep in doghouse since he's missing 5th straight game for #AltoonaCurve cause of undisclosed discipline issue.
— Cory Giger (@CoryGiger) June 25, 2014
This is not the first time I’ve heard this. Last night I was contacted by an NL scout who was in Altoona, wondering if I had heard about Hanson’s suspension for disciplinary reasons. However, the Pirates are saying that Hanson is only out to work on things. Rob Biertempfel quotes Kyle Stark, who said the shortstop is not suspended.
#Pirates asst GM Kyle Stark says SS Alen Hanson has NOT been suspended. He's being given time off from lineup "to work on some things."
— RobBiertempfel (@RobBiertempfel) June 25, 2014
This wouldn’t be the first time Hanson was out for multiple days to work on things. He did the same thing last year, taking three days off at the start of the season after a horrible start to the year on both offense and defense. However, this absence is much longer.
Giger does bring up a good point in response. Altoona has been very short-handed offensively due to suspensions from a brawl last week. If the Pirates wanted to work on things with Hanson, this is the worst time they could have picked to do that.
Per last RT on Hanson, I don't buy it AT ALL. Curve drastically undermanned from brawl suspensions, & they pick now to work on things? Sure.
— Cory Giger (@CoryGiger) June 25, 2014
Giger also notes that Hanson was removed from the first game of a DH in the middle of the game, and didn’t play in game two, all while the team was short-handed.
Plus, Hanson was pulled in middle of game, the first of a DH, no less, when team was very short-handed. No way he's just "working on things"
— Cory Giger (@CoryGiger) June 25, 2014
To recap, the people in Altoona are under the impression that Hanson is suspended, while the Pirates are denying the suspension and saying that he’s working on things. The work comes at a strange time when Altoona is very short-handed, adding even more mystery to this situation.
