The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a few minor injuries to their position players in the early part of Spring Training. Clint Hurdle talked today about the three big names who project to make the team.
**Corey Hart played his first game today in the B game at Pirate City. Hart was the designated hitter and went 0-for-3. Afterward, Hurdle said that he was responding well to the playing time.
“Corey did well. He got to see pitches, he didn’t favor it, and he got a swing off,” Hurdle said of the performance.
**Josh Harrison returned today after taking five days off with ankle discomfort. Harrison rolled his ankle in his first game on March 4th, and hasn’t played since returning to third base today. He made some nice plays on the field, including a diving stop on a hard hit ball that went quickly to third base.
“I didn’t see any mis-steps from him,” Hurdle said. “I didn’t see him favor anything. He said it was good for him because the first ball hit to him, he didn’t have time to think about catching it.”
**Earlier today the Pirates announced that Pedro Alvarez has missed a few games with elbow discomfort. Alvarez will be out a few more days with what is being described as a “mild hyperextension.” Hurdle didn’t have any additional updates, and said he wasn’t concerned with the injury.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Sorry about the interruption, but I saw this on Digg and it’s incredible. Baseball history never fails to amaze. http://www.uni-watch.com/2015/03/08/restoring-old-baseball-magazine-covers/?utm_source=digg&utm_medium=email
Pretty neat, we should’nt let the past fade as we look towards the future. Because all our tomorrows are yesterday.(I wonder how many will get this?)
As great as all the pitchers not named Pimentel have looked, the hitting has been very disappointing thus far.
The line-ups the Pirates are using aren’t going to hit a whole lot even at their best. Pedro Florimon, Gustavo Nunez, Justin Sellers etc. – these are the only guys playing whole games, everyone else that’s decent is out after a couple at bats. I wouldn’t put much stock into how well they are hitting or scoring right now. The guys playing now will not be the guys playing when the season starts.
Yeah, I think the pitchers are ahead in general. Wandy R. just threw 3 scoreless.
Much of the league has struggled hitting, and its not unusual this early in ST. Heck, hitting usual lags in the first month of the season league wide. It’d be more worrisome of the pitching was a big struggle, hitters are in no rhythm and its cold (which sounds like a dumb reason but really does impact offense).
Lambo getting some reps at first?
im sure he is, but he as usual cant touch the ball
Tim: Good news about both Hart and JHAY. First base continues to be “Groundhog Day”. I know it is minor stuff (we hope) with Pedro, but why would they not be trying other options at 1B? I look at the first half of ST sort of like a pickup game, so if Pedro remains injured, why not a game where Neil Walker takes his switchhitting bat to 1B and insert the switchhitting Alen Hanson in at 2B, or Kang? I look at that as adapting to the present situation.
Last 6 games – Win 2, Lose 2, Tie 2 and score a grand total of only 8 runs? We need some bats to start running into the ball a little more often. Pitching has been absolutely awesome – Today it was Cole, Liz, Caminero, and Worley in the “B” Game in the morning.
Never been to a pickup game where the players are making at least six figures. I would like to though.
ST isnt the time you go to a guy and say “hey man, ik we didnt tell you to work on this at all, but go play 1B and maybe we will move ya there for OD in a few weeks”. ST might seem like a pickup game, but for players its more about getting into game shape and getting ready for OD at their spots and offensively. Maybe one game for fun, but id hope the manager isnt running out guys at random spots multiple days. No need to adapt to the situation when Lambo can play 1B and, really, could use the work.
Luke: I wonder where Neil Walker learned how to play 2B? Check back to 2010 when he was a 3B and our 2B, Iwakuma (?) went down. He went to 2B and learned on the run in the Majors and has done very well. Walker is now an infielder, but was trained as a Catcher, therefore he knows how to handle short hops, and knows all of the cutoffs because he had to know all of that as the Catcher.
The Pirates moved Lambo off of 1B in AAA last year and has more AB’s than anyone on the team in ST.
He has done very well at 2B….except for the fact that for the majority of his time there he was below average on defense WITH the benefit of the shift trying to mask his lack of range. Walker had about 1-2 good years on defense with the rest seeing his range suck. Walker was given more than 2-3 weeks time working at 2B before being thrown in, and assuming any player can play average defense at any spot after 2-3 weeks is pretty giving.
You then assume that playing catcher means you can play 1B because you can handle short hops….even though most catchers dont actually catch the short hops but block them. So yeah, so long as we dont mind Walker blocking the short hops rather than catching him (things he hasnt practiced in 4+ years) its all easy street.
emjay- for the love of Pete man- quit beating that drum. get over it, it isn’t going to happen!!!! ….not this year.
Y2: I think I started the Walker to 1B conversation well over a year ago. Has anything else worked out? 23 HR, 76 RBI, Switchhitter, and we have the players who can backfill at 2B.
“and we have the players who can backfill at 2B.” may be a little optimistic. You’re essentially saying Hanson or more likely Kang can definitely step in at 2B and be a better hitter than Pedro. It’s certainly possible, but not so guaranteed that it’s worth making another position switch for Walker…YET
hence why he may not be extended yet either, doubt he wants to move positions again
I agree about 1B. It’d be good to have as many options as possible, and now’s the time.
Lambo Hart Alvarez, sink or swim. Quit complaining about it, that’s how it’s going to be
The bats have been lagging behind the pitching across the league as I understand it, and this is pretty typical early in Spring Training. The pitchers have a clear upper hand over the hitters. You just can’t face game-speed live pitching in the offseason, and the approximations of it are poorer than pitchers throwing and working on their stuff and command.