Now is the time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring up second baseman Alen Hanson from AAA Indianapolis.
Josh Harrison is on the disabled list, and Starling Marte might be right behind him. Gregory Polanco, meanwhile, is struggling to get on base. Those are the top three Pirates in stolen bases this season, all either injured or underperforming.
Hanson, who was Baseball America’s seventh best Pirate prospect prior to the start of the season, could help fix the club’s woes between the bases.
The 22-year- old has attempted 28 steals this year, and been successful on 22 of them. Given the Pirates struggles with base running lately, Hanson could be a welcome addition and an added threat on the base paths.
But Hanson should be up for more than just stolen bases.
Hanson has .293 average, with nine doubles, eight triples and five home runs for the Indians. He has also shown no signs of rust since being reinstated from the 7-day disabled list Wednesday, as he has hit .375 since his return.
The news Monday that Harrison will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with reportedly torn ligaments in his thumb that could keep him out for up to six weeks causes infielder Jung Ho Kang to take his spot at third base for the interim of the injury. With Kang now occupying the hot corner, the Pirates in effect lose their top bat off the bench.
Hanson has not played third base since he was in the Dominican Summer League back in 2010, but that is OK. The club has Sean Rodriguez to serve as an immediate backup at third if need be.
The Pirates do not need Hanson to start right away in the Majors. Neil Walker is at Hanson’s primary position, second base, and has been on a torrid pace in July for the Pirates, with a .423 average, 1.137 OPS, two home runs and eight RBIs. At Hanson’s original position, shortstop, Jordy Mercer is hitting for a .350 average and .809 OPS in July.
Thanks to both Walker and Mercer’s current hot streak, now is as good as any time for Hanson to be eased into the majors since he would not have to replace either of them right away.
The Pirates have the luxury of using Hanson as a spot starter if either were to need a day off, as well as off the bench. And with Kang now a full-time starter, Hanson would get more opportunities in the Majors as the primary middle infield backup.
This role should help keep the pressure off Hanson, as he can initially figure out the big league game in a limited capacity, and will not be counted on too heavily the way he would be if he became the full time starter.
Sure, there is the chance that Hanson struggles for a bit after being called up – after all the Pirates are experiencing a highly-touted hitter struggling in Polanco. But this is a different situation than with Polanco.
With Polanco the club does not have much in the way of a contingency plan to replace him, especially now that Harrison is out. If Hanson struggles, the club will still have Mercer and Walker ahead of him as starters, so it would not only not affect the team as much as Polanco’s struggles, but the club has more wiggle room to return him to AAA Indianapolis to get re-adjusted if needed.
On top of that all, the Pirates’ bench is running thin. The newly claimed Travis Ishikawa is an unknown, but did not show much with the bat in his last stint in Pittsburgh, while Steve Lombardozzi and Gorkys Hernandez are, well, Steve Lombardozzi and Gorkys Hernandez.
The Pirates right now find themselves in the thick of a pennant race, and with the injuries starting to mount up they will need all hands on deck, and Hanson is their best option to continue the push for October.
