BRADENTON, Fla. – Barrett Barnes and Jin-De Jhang were both cut from big league camp in the last week, but not before suffering injuries. Barnes left his final game with a hamstring issue, and was cut the next day.
There isn’t an estimate on when he could return, but the Pirates could give Barnes plenty of time to get back, due to his lengthy history of hamstring injuries. I talked with Pirates’ Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway, who said that Barnes has a hamstring strain, and they are seeing how it progresses.
As for Jhang, he pulled an oblique in big league camp. He didn’t play in a game since March 1st, and there’s not an estimate on when he will return. It would be unlikely that he could start the season in Altoona, although that is where he will end up when he does return.
**Adrian Valerio was hit in the hand with a pitch, leading to a broken hand. It’s not a hamate injury, but he’s in a cast and should be out for 4-6 weeks. That would put his debut in West Virginia around late-April or early-May.
**Jon Schwind and Scooter Hightower are both out with oblique strains as well. Schwind is an upper level organizational guy, taking on a super utility role. Hightower is a lower level reliever.
**Jerrick Suiter hurt his thumb in the field, possibly dislocating it. He had an MRI this week, and currently has a brace on the thumb. Suiter is the best defensive first baseman in the system, and could be playing for Altoona this year.
