INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – With his promotion to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Jared Triolo has seen his season come full circle.
After a notable off season of being added to the 40 man, getting some spring training at bats with the big league club, and starting the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, Triolo had everything going in a positive direction. However, he hit a major speed bump as camp broke.
Triolo broke the hamate bone in his hand, requiring surgery at the end of March. He began the season on the injured list, ending up in a cast. Despite this injury threatening his momentum, Triolo found a positive from the most negative.
“It was definitely a little bit of a blow,“ Triolo said. “Whenever it happened, I took it as an opportunity to really focus and get ready for the season. I was able to hit the ground running when I came back. I think a lot of the stuff I did when I was injured, I carried into the season, just in the way I prepare for my day. It really turned into a positive for me.“
Along with learning preparation tactics, Triolo worked hard with the team in Indianapolis during the injury, and was with the group the entire time. He also credits this work for his success this year.
“I think while I was injured, I did a lot of work with the hitting guys [in Indianapolis], and tried to stay in my Spring Training shape,” Triolo said. “I wasn’t too far behind. It teaches you to enjoy it more when you’re playing.”
As for on the field, Indianapolis hitting coach Eric Munson has seen some significant improvement from Triolo’s approach at the dish.
“At the beginning, he had a little bit of trouble with some chasing pitches,” Munson said. “He’s done a really good job of bringing that back in. He’s made a couple of adjustments with his set up, and where he’s at in the box. He says he feels pretty comfortable with where he is. I would say the thing I’m happiest about is just staying in his area where he wants the ball, and checking off the good pitches that get him out.”
Munson was also impressed by Triolo’s quality of being able to stay within himself, and knowing his skill set and profile. However, he is most impressed by what Triolo does with a glove.
“He’s a Major League All-Star defensive player,” Munson said. “He’s a winning player on that side, no doubt. I think he’ll get better offensively, and he’s already showing signs of it. I’m happy with where he’s going.“
Along with his signature third base, Triolo also got an opportunity to play some shortstop earlier in the year.
He listed changing your internal clock to speed up, and being a little more rangy to the differences between shortstop and third base. Otherwise, he said it’s basically fielding ground balls and throwing to first.
In his final five games with Indianapolis, Triolo played all four infield positions. He is certainly versatile defensively, and his offense is catching up. With Ke’Bryan Hayes going on the injured list, Triolo will certainly get some good experience at the Major League level.
