Bae Ji-hwan (25, Pittsburgh Pirates), who is on the injured list (MHN Sports Arizona Reporter Lee Sang-hee), will soon start his rehabilitation game. However, there is a possibility that he can go down to the Minor League instead of returning to the Major League after the rehabilitation game. 토토사이트 추천
“After returning infielder Alika Williams (25), who was on the injured list and successfully completed the recent rehabilitation game, he will use the option to make a minor league Triple-A team (Indiana Police Indians),” the Pittsburgh club said in a press release distributed on the 20th (Korea Standard Time).
Williams, a utility man who can cover all infield positions except for first base and catcher, was placed on the injured list on the 3rd (Korea time) due to a sprained right wrist. He finished his rehabilitation well as the Pittsburgh press release said, but there was no room for him on the 26-man roster of the Pittsburgh major.
Born to an American father and a Korean mother, Williams was drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round of the 2020 MLB Rookie Draft and entered the professional league. She made her Major League debut as a member of Pittsburgh in July last year after a trade.
He played in a total of 23 games before the injury this season, recording a batting average of 0.210, two RBIs and one stolen base. His OPS, which combines on-base plus slugging, is also sluggish at 0.524. Had his performance been good, he could have pushed out other players and taken a spot on the roster, but the reality is, he failed to do so.
Chances are high that Bae, who is on the injured list and is about to play a rehabilitation game soon, will follow in Williams’ footsteps. Bae also suffered a similar injury to Williams and went on the injured list. Soon, he will start a rehabilitation game at Triple-A team in the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, it remains uncertain whether he will be able to return to the Major League even if he finishes his rehabilitation game safely.
Having started on the disabled list instead of playing in the opening game of the Major League due to hip injury he suffered at the spring camp earlier this year, Bae successfully finished his rehabilitation game, but had experience starting his season at Triple-A in the Minor League instead of returning to the Major League. Just like then, there is no time left for Bae to squeeze into the 26-member Pittsburgh roster.
Bae displayed impressive performance as a utility man of his team last year, moving back and forth between infield and outfield. He was recognized enough to play his first full-time game in the big league. However, this year is different. Last year, shortstop O’Neill Cruz (26) and third baseman Kibrian Hayes (27) who are considered irreplaceable resources in the Pittsburgh Pirates were out of the team’s roster due to injury, and hence Bae was in need, but this year is different.
For this reason, Bae has been playing as an outfielder since he returned to the Major League last month. He played in a total of eight games, including six as a center fielder, one as a right fielder and one as a pinch hitter. He has no place in the infield. In addition, infielder Nick Gonzalez, 25, who was Bae’s rival, is doing well at the second base this season. As of Tuesday, he has a batting average of 0.286 with five homers and 25 RBIs. His OPS is also good at 0.781.
Still, that does not imply that the outfield has Bae’s place. Currently, the Pittsburgh outfield has left fielder Brian Reynolds (29). Having signed a long-term contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, he is a non-fungible resource as long as he is not injured.
Veteran outfielder Michael Taylor, 33, has performed worse than expected. He has a batting average of 0.195 with one homer and 11 RBIs as of Tuesday. However, Taylor has no option but to release him. However, it is not the right time to release him, as he has no other option but to do so. Although his batting is not good, he has good use in defense.
Therefore, even if Bae finishes his rehabilitation game as well as his teammate Williams, chances are high that he will have to go back to the minors for the time being and work on it. The failure to make good performance in the majors this year is one of the factors that increase the possibility of minor relegation.