The phrase you can’t lose your job to injury is commonly heard in sports lore.
But Pittsburgh Pirate shortstop Jordy Mercer may soon beg to differ.
Despite starting his rehab this week at Triple-A Indianapolis, the Opening Day starting shortstop may not be given his starting job back when he return[s.
Nor should it be handed to him.
Current starting shortstop Jung Ho Kang used injuries to Mercer and Josh Harrison to propel himself into the Pirates’ everyday lineup and has not looked back. Kang, July’s NL Rookie of the Month, has hit .303 in the 22 games since Mercer went down with a knee injury on July 19 – nine of them have been multi-hit games and only five were games with no hits.
After a slow start to the season, Kang has been everything the Pirates could have hoped for, if not more. He is a legitimate NL Rookie of the Year candidate, prevented a nightmare situation in the left side of the infield when Harrison and Mercer went down and has been big in clutch situations; the $16 million they spent to sign him to a four-year deal with a fifth year option looks like a bargain now, doesn’t it? He was signed to be the team’s shortstop of the future, and that future is now.
And the best still may be to come for him – remember, he has only been in the Majors for five months. As for Mercer, the Pirates know what they are getting with him offensively: a decent hitter that will provide the occasional pop.
The one downside to starting Kang over Mercer is defense. Mercer is the superior defensive player, having finished fourth in the baseball in fielding percentage last season. But this season he has the same amount of errors (seven) as last season in half the games, and does not have great range. Meanwhile, Kang’s .962 fielding percentage at shortstop would qualify as 21st among eligible shortstops, and is better suited to play third base.
So do the Pirates go with Kang’s offense, or Mercer’s defense?
Despite Mercer having the edge with the glove, the Pirates simply cannot justify not keeping Kang as a regular in the lineup. In a one-game playoff, likely against Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cub,s who has owned the Pirates of late, they will need all the help they can get on offense, and leaving one of their hottest and most clutch hitters on the bench would do them no favors.
Kang has earned the right to play every day, whether it is at shortstop or third base. Mercer or Sean Rodriguez could also serve as late-game defensive replacement, but Kang needs to get the majority of at-bats.
Speaking of the hot corner, starting third baseman Josh Harrison is also set to likely return by the end of August. This will bring up another conundrum for the Pirates.
Aramis Ramirez has been heating up after a slow start to his farewell tour with the Pirates, but only has three extra base hits so far in his return. Not to mention, he has been a liability defensively, looking like a statue at times at third base. Ramirez started taking ground balls at first base Thursday, so he could end up being Pedro Alvarez’s right-handed platoon partner when Harrison comes back. Ramirez should not be batting cleanup, but if his latest spurt is a sign of things to come then he would make an ideal pinch hitter or lower third of the order hitter.
The nice thing about Harrison returning is his versatility. They could keep him in the lineup by starting him at third, or spot starting at second base or either corner outfield position. That would allow Ramirez to still get starts at third – unless they move him to first – or put Kang at third and Mercer at shortstop.
Ideally, Kang would start at shortstop and Harrison at third base when everyone is healthy. Ramirez and Mercer would be the first two options off the bench, with Mercer a possibility to play late in the game for his defense and Ramirez an option at first against left handed pitching, or at third if Harrisons starts elsewhere.
Regardless, barring any further injuries, the Pirates finally have options with regards to their starting lineup, as well as stronger options off the bench. They will not be confused with a Murderers’ Row lineup, but it will be the strongest it has been all season.
