Pittsburgh Pirates: Mitch Keller's Personal Catcher & More Takeaways From Series Loss vs Twins

Recapping the Pirates' weekend series in the Twin Cities
Aug 20, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (13)
Aug 20, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (13) / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
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Ji Hwan Bae back with a strong series

Due to an ankle injury, Ji Hwan Bae had been on the injured list since July 2nd. Bae returned from the injured list from the first game of the series on Friday night, bat lead off, and quickly made a bang in his return to the Pirates.

Bae started in center field on Friday and went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double. Saturday night Bae started at second base, going 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and a RBI. Bae once again was in center field and leading off on Sunday, but went 0-for-4. Although, an awful Laz Diaz strike zone (shocker, I know) robbed Bae of a walk on Sunday.

Even though Bae was 0-for in the series finale it was still a strong series for him. Especially when you consider he had not faced MLB pitching in nearly two months. Certainly putting a strong foot down in his return to action.

Bae may never be an every day player in the majors. However, if the Pirates can get anything close to this version of Bae or the Bae that they got in April, then he could carve out a role as a very valuable utility player in the majors.