Pittsburgh Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan (26) failed to capitalize on his substitute appearance opportunity. Now
Bae Ji-hwan played as a substitute in a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on the 24th (Korean time), recording 1 at-bat with no hits and 1 strikeout.
On that day, Bae Ji-hwan came into the game as a late defensive player in the bottom of the 8th inning and stepped up to the plate for his first at-bat in the top of the 9th inning. He faced Nate Garkow in a matchup that went full count, but he struck out on a falling 76.9 mph slider on the 6th pitch. Consequently, Bae Ji-hwan's spring camp batting average fell to .400, with an OPS of 1.054.
Until the game against the Tampa Bay Rays on the 20th, Bae Ji-hwan had shown a fierce hitting sense, achieving 2 doubles and 1 walk over 3 plate appearances. However, he missed the game on the 21st due to a rest day and was unable to play until the game against the Boston Red Sox on the 22nd. Then, the day before (the 23rd), he started as the left fielder in the game against the Baltimore Orioles, but he recorded 1 at-bat with no hits and 1 strikeout.
Bae Ji-hwan has recently recorded 4 consecutive at-bats without a hit. Bae Ji-hwan seems to be experiencing a significant drop in his hitting performance amidst unstable playing opportunities. Nevertheless, his hopes of making the Major League opening day roster are gradually increasing.
Pittsburgh reorganized its roster after the game against Baltimore on the 23rd. Catcher Henry Davis, utility player Billy Cook, and Nick York were sent down to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians through minor options. Additionally, pitcher Hunter Stratton was added to the 40-man roster, leading to the designation for assignment (DFA) of outfielder Joshua Palacios.
In particular, Palacios' designation for assignment is good news for Bae Ji-hwan. Palacios, who was Bae Ji-hwan's competitor, struggled with a batting average of .211 (4 hits in 19 at-bats), no home runs, and no RBIs in 9 spring training games due to a left knee injury. Since all options for his minor league demotion had been exhausted, designation for assignment was the only option left to reorganize the roster.
With the opening game against the Miami Marlins on the 28th approaching, Pittsburgh has only one spring training game left. They will play against the Minnesota Twins on the 26th before a day off leading into the opening game. Will Bae Ji-hwan be able to overcome his recent drop in hitting performance and make it onto the Major League opening day roster?
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