JI HWAN BAE NEWS

Sitting Friday Bae isn't in the Pirates' lineup Friday against the Brewers

Impact Bae is now 0-for-25 across his last 10 games, forcing him to the bench Friday against right-hander Freddy Peralta. In Bae's absence, Nick Gonzales will start at second base, and Tucupita Marcano will get the nod at shortstop.

JUNE 30, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Back in lineup Thursday Bae will start at second base and bat seventh in Thursday's game against the Padres.

Impact Bae was on the bench for two of the Pirates' last four games and is slashing a miserable .150/.232/.167 thus far in June, putting his status as an everyday player on notice. If there's a saving grace for Bae, it's that fellow middle infielder Tucupita Marcano has performed similarly poor in June (.493 OPS), which has resulted in recent call-up Nick Gonzales entering the lineup in place of Marcano for three straight games. Even if Marcano is the odd man out of the three for the time being, Bae could eventually lose reps to Rodolfo Castro at the keystone if another recent call-up in Jared Triolo ends up serving as the primary replacement at third base for the injured Ke'Bryan Hayes (back).

JUNE 29, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sitting versus lefty Bae will sit Monday versus the Cubs.

Impact Bae will head to the bench as the Pirates square off with left-hander Drew Smyly on the mound Monday. Rodolfo Castro will take over at second base and bat sixth in the series opener with Chicago.

JUNE 19, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swipes 20th bag Bae went 0-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and a stolen base Friday against the Brewers.

Impact Bae continues to maintain a regular role against right-handed pitching and has been particularly impressive across the last month. In that span, he's hitting .315 with a .378 on-base percentage, 16 runs scored and six stolen bases across 24 games. Bae has just a .083 ISO, but he's proven to be a reliable contributor with stolen bases and runs scored.

JUNE 17, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sitting vs. southpaw Bae is not in the starting lineup versus the Cubs on Wednesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Impact Bae will take a seat against southpaw Drew Smyly for Wednesday's contest against the Cubs. Mark Mathias will hit eighth and play second base while Bae gets a breather.

JUNE 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ji Hwan Bae's improvements on the bases, at the plate have been noticeable for Pirates After a rough stretch in May, Ji Hwan Bae has really found a nice stride — literally — by toning it down in the box and on the bases.

JUNE 14, 2023 • POST-GAZETTE.COM

Reaching base regularly Bae went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base Friday against the Mets.

Impact Bae made an impact with his speed early in the game, reaching base on a bunt hit and forcing an errant throw by Eduardo Escobar to get a pair of runs home. He's now reached base in four consecutive games, tallying five hits in 13 at-bats while also drawing three free passes. In that span, he's also scored four runs, driven in four and swiped four bags. Bae continues to serve in a strong-side platoon role, with his playing time split between center field and second base.

JUNE 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Out of lineup Tuesday Bae is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Athletics.

Impact Bae tallied his 18th stolen base of the season in Monday's series opener versus the A's, but he'll grab some pine Tuesday with Jack Suwinski starting in center field and Rodolfo Castro covering second base.

JUNE 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Racking up stolen bases Bae went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base Monday against the Athletics.

Impact Bae continues to hold a consistent strong-side platoon role in the Pirates' lineup, as he's started in 14 of the team's last 15 games against right-handed pitchers. He's had standout lines in each of the team's last two games, tallying three hits in seven at-bats while scoring a run, driving in two and swiping three bases. Bae has a decent .329 on-base percentage, which has helped him tally 18 stolen bases on 23 attempts for the campaign.

JUNE 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Out against lefty Bae isn't starting Saturday against St. Louis, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Impact As southpaw Jordan Montgomery prepares to start Saturday for the Cards, the left-handed bat of Bae will begin the game in the dugout. Rodolfo Castro will take Bae's place at second base and bat fifth.

JUNE 3, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

On bench versus lefty Bae is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Rangers.

Impact Bae will take a seat as the Pirates face off with left-hander Martin Perez on the mound Wednesday. Rodolfo Castro will slot in at second base and bat sixth in the rubber match with Texas.

MAY 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ji Hwan Bae's elite speed runs him into trouble in Pirates' loss to Texas Rangers Ji Hwan Bae possesses elite speed, but used it too recklessly in loss to Texas Rangers Ji Hwan Bae has made a name for himself as one of the...

MAY 24, 2023 • POST-GAZETTE.COM

On bench Sunday Bae is not in the starting lineup Sunday versus the Diamondbacks, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Impact Bae will get a breather after he went 4-for-8 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in the first two games of the series. Rodolfo Castro will draw the start at second base in the rubber match with Arizona.

MAY 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Becoming regular in lineup Bae went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's game against Baltimore.

Impact Bae delivered a single that drove in two in the third inning of Sunday's win. After previously slipping into a reserve role, Bae has now started three consecutive games and four of the last five at second base for Pittsburgh. Playing time has opened after Mark Mathias was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis while Tucupita Marcano has primarily played at shortstop in recent contests. Bae has only a .623 OPS across 117 plate appearances for the season, though he's relevant in category leagues thanks to his 14 stolen bases.

MAY 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Takes seat Wednesday Bae is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

Impact After he had been out of the lineup for three straight games due to an ankle injury, Bae checked back into the starting nine for Tuesday's 10-1 loss and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He didn't experience any reported setbacks coming out of the contest, but Bae will hit the bench Wednesday in any case while the Pirates and Rockies wrap up their series with a day game. Tucupita Marcano replaces Bae as the Bucs' second baseman.

MAY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Hitless in return Bae went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Tuesday against the Rockies.

Impact Bae returned from a three-game absence caused by an ankle injury Tuesday to start at second base. He's now hitless across his last 11 at-bats and has maintained only a .232 average for the season across 105 plate appearances. His playing time will be worth monitoring moving forward after the team demoted Mark Mathias to Triple-A Indianapolis Monday, potentially opening the door for Bae to play regularly at second base.

MAY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Returns to lineup Tuesday Bae (ankle) is back in the lineup Tuesday against the Rockies, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Impact Bae will start at second base and bat ninth versus the Rockies and right-hander Connor Seabold after being limited by an ankle injury over the last handful of games. The 23-year-old has racked up 14 stolen bases on the year, though he's slashing just .239/.300/.326 across 101 plate appearances.

MAY 9, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Remains out Monday Bae (ankle) is not in the starting lineup Monday against the Rockies.

Impact Bae will remain on the bench for a third straight game as he continues to nurse an ankle injury. With left-hander Kyle Freeland on the mound for Colorado, it's possible Bae wouldn't be in the lineup regardless of health. Chris Owings will draw the start at shortstop and bat eighth in the series opener.

MAY 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Out Sunday with ankle issue Bae (ankle) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Impact The lefty-hitting Bae will take a seat for the second straight game while he battles an ankle issue, though he may have been on the bench even if at full health since the Blue Jays are bringing southpaw Yusei Kikuchi to the hill for the series finale. According to Justice delos Santos of MLB.com, manager Derek Shelton said prior to Saturday's 8-2 loss that Bae was expected to be available off the bench, though Bae ultimately went unused. Bae will presumably be available again Sunday.

MAY 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Day-to-day with ankle injury Bae is dealing with a minor ankle injury but is available off the bench Saturday against the Blue Jays, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Impact Bae is sitting Saturday, with Jack Suwinski starting in center field and Rodolfo Castro starting at second base. He ranks third in the majors with 14 steals, but he has been below replacement level (-0.2 fWAR) on the whole, so improved performance at the plate and in the field might be necessary for him to continue playing semi-regularly.

MAY 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swipes 14th bag Bae went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 4-0 loss to the Blue Jays.

Impact The young utility player continues to do his best Jon Berti impression, stealing his 14th base in 31 games to begin the season, with nine of them coming in the last 10 contests. Bae is also batting .333 (9-for-27) over that stretch, and while he offers little power -- he has just two homers and nine RBI on the year -- he could become more than just a one-dimensional fantasy asset if he keeps stringing together hits.

MAY 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Not in lineup Tuesday Bae is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rays.

Impact Bae recorded his 11th steal of the season in Sunday's series finale against the Nationals, but Mark Mathias will get the start at second base as the Pirates open a three-game set Tuesday at Tampa Bay. It's a bullpen day for the Rays, so Bae probably will appear off the bench at some point.

MAY 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Swipes 11th base Bae went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a steal in Sunday's loss to the Nationals.

Impact Bae led off the third inning with a base hit before swiping second and scoring on a Bryan Reynolds hit. Bae is now 11-for-12 on stolen base attempts this year, tieing him for second in the league. The 23-year-old Bae has hit well enough to maximize his stolen-base value -- he's slashing .250/.302/.350 with two home runs, nine RBI and 17 runs scored through 87 plate appearances while playing regularly at second base.

MAY 1, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Runs wild in Wednesday's win Bae went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, one RBI and three stolen bases in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Dodgers.

Impact The Pirates showed no mercy to Los Angeles catcher Austin Wynns, going a combined 6-for-6 on steal attempts, but Bae was the star of the track meet. The 23-year-old has five pilfers in the last two games against the Dodgers and is now 10-for-11 on the basepaths in 2023, tying him for second in the majors in steals behind Ronald Acuna's 13.

APRIL 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Pilfers two bags in loss Bae went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases in Tuesday's 8-7 loss to the Dodgers.

Impact Getting the start in center field and batting eighth, the utility player ran wild against Noah Syndergaard, who had trouble keeping runners close even before MLB made basestealing easier. Bae is up to seven stolen bases in eight attempts this season, but the 23-year-old hasn't done much else to make a fantasy impact, slashing .224/.288/.343 through 74 plate appearances with two homers, eight RBI and 13 runs.

APRIL 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE