After playing two games with Altoona, Clint Barmes had his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Indianapolis on August 18, as he looks to recover from a strained left groin. Barmes was placed on the DL retroactive to June 30.
After five games between the two levels, Barmes is pleased with the progress and reports that he has seen “no setbacks at all.” He is also pleased to have played in back to back games Wednesday and Thursday.
“It feels good at this point,” Barmes said. “This is a back-to-back day for the first time on the rehab. It feels good and I am excited to get back out there [Thursday]…It’s nice to get some at bats and get some timing back. I feel very comfortable now and in the infield as well.”
Along with playing in back-to-back games for the first time on the assignment, Barmes also played the entire game Thursday night for the first time.
On the rehab assignment, Barmes has gotten off to a slow start offensively, as he is 3-for-17 with a strikeout. However, he showed a significant sign of life, as he launched a solo home run to left field in his first at bat on Wednesday.
“[The home run] is always fun because I don’t to do it too often,” Barmes said. “Sometimes you just run into a ball.”
As for the time-table on his comeback to Pittsburgh, Barmes is encouraged by the progress, but is not sure about exactly when the return is coming.
“I honestly really haven’t talked to the trainer up with the big league club, so I am not sure what the plan is exactly,” Barmes said. “I think that we are speeding up the process by playing back-to-back games so early, so that is a good sight. At this point, it’s whenever they need me and what they need.”
Barmes’ rehab assignment was originally planned to last until the end of August.
Ryan has been following Indianapolis baseball for most of his life, and the Pirates since they became the affiliate in 2005. He began writing for Pirates Prospects in 2013, in a stint that ran through 2016 (with no service time manipulation played in). Ryan rejoined the team in 2022, covering Indianapolis once again. He has covered the Pirates in four different big league stadiums. Ryan was also fortunate enough to cover the 2015 Futures Game in Cincinnati.
Who would have thought that we buccos fans would actually be looking forward to barmes returning, after witnessing martinez and nix doing a preety bad impersonation of a second baseman lately, barmes will seem like a superstar.
AA or AAA can’t make him look like a avg ballplayer let alone a superstar. He sucks!!! If he can’t talk Hurdle into another stupid contract he’ll be out of baseball next year
The part you failed to read was, after wittnessing martinez and nix, barmes will look like a superstar,not that he is.
Barmes has a left AND right groin? I only have one.
That’s the problem with his swing: too much groin. You didn’t know that?
He can’t hit in big leagues so 3-17 doesn’t suprise me.
Clint Barmes gearing up? ……..Clint doesn’t have another gear to gear up to.
Too bad Clint H has had such a long fancy for Clint B. I shudder when he is used as a PH, especially with a man on 1st, as he’s a ground ball, DP machine. I wish I could get excited by just his defense, but with an anemic .240 BA and .295 OBP, he’d need to do Ozzie Smith backflips to elicit more than a yawn.
But he can hit Chapman. He also surprisingly had very good #s vs some aces Bucs will be facing, like Wainwright, Lackey, Hamels.
Hopefully Hurdle uses him appropriately.
I would say 3-for-17 with a strikeout IS mid season form….
I laughed out loud when I read “The homerun is always fun because I don’t do it too often.” I’m not expecting miracles when he comes back but he’s a clear upgrade, even if only defensively.
One good thing about Nix and Martinez….they actually made us appreciate Clint B.
I feel bad because they seem like good guys, ran every ball out etc. But they were almost useless offensively. Nix squared up a ball as hard as he could Wednesday and he flew out to left with 30 feet to spare. Martinez had speed at least?
Nix is not a power hitter, but over his MLB career he has hit almost 15 HR’s per 500 AB’s.
Nix has barreled a couple of others, including two line shots to corner IFs (one doubled up Snider). The guy has made decent contact, nothing to show for it. Martinez OTOH… oy.