INDIANAPOLIS – Adam Frazier’s return from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis has not been released, but it might be safe to expect him back fairly soon.
Frazier played the entire game of Indianapolis’ 1-0 win over Charlotte on Wednesday, going 2-for-3 with a walk and stolen base. He started in left field after playing seven innings at second base on Monday.
“I feel pretty good,” Frazier said. “I tried to push it as much as I could and I had some good opportunities today.”
Frazier is recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the Pirates’ lineup for about two weeks. He feels ready to return to full speed, but nothing has been told to him about if he has another rehab game in his future. He’s more than ready to get back, and the Pirates could use the return of his .306/.370/.449 slash line.
“You kind of feel guilty in a sense because you’re not there for the guys,” Frazier said. “You don’t want to ever be hurt, but you don’t want to let your teammates down either.”
Typically, rehab assignments will include a pair of 7-inning games followed by a pair of 9-inning games. Frazier seems to be on the fast track version, playing one of each so far.
“I’ve only missed a couple of weeks, so I was trying to push it pretty hard with base running before coming here, to get a feel for it,” Frazier said. “I felt better today than I did two days ago. I’m going to do everything I can to get back up there as quickly as possible.”
Frazier singled in his first at-bat and stole second without a throw. He looked good in the outfield, though, he didn’t have to make any non-routine plays. In two rehab games, Frazier is 3-for-6 at the plate.
Indianapolis manager Andy Barkett didn’t have any indication on when Frazier would return to the major leagues, simply noting he would send an email to Pirates manager Clint Hurdle after Wednesday’s game.
“I’m going to tell him that he played nine innings, looked comfortable, swung the bat well and moved well,” Barkett said. “That’s their decision. That’s above my high pay grade.”
Whenever he returns, Frazier will give a boost to an offense that has struggled lately with multiple injuries and other issues keeping players out of the lineup.
“He gives you attack at-bats, attacks on the bases and even attack defensively,” Barkett said. “He plays as hard as he can all of the time and he’s a good player. I think other players feed off of that. He’s looking to steal a base when he gets on base, he’s looking to go from first to third. That’s a sickness that we want infectious over all of our players.”
Frazier looked good in the field and at the plate in his two rehab games against Charlotte. While nothing has been made public, it’s likely he will be returning to Pittsburgh sooner than later, especially considering the boost he could provide an offense that is struggling.
