Pirates' Adam Frazier wants to improve at plate after playing through pain in 2019
BRADENTON, Fla. – Adam Frazier revealed a secret that helps explain his inconsistency at the plate last season and gives an indication of his willingness to play through pain.
The Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman broke his right index finger in spring training, then suffered a slight separation in his right shoulder in the season opener at Cincinnati.
“I was a little banged up coming out of spring and got hurt in the first game of the year … but I just played through it and put my head down,” Frazier said. “Something’s really got to be hurting to keep me off the field.”
Frazier didn’t like how the injuries affected him at the plate, where he slashed .278/.336/.417 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs. He batted .341 in July and .303 in the final 26 games but hit 21 points higher in the first half (.287) than the second half (.266).
The injuries didn’t stop Frazier from playing a team-best 152 games last season. That includes 140 at second base, where he was a Gold Glove finalist in his first full season as a starter despite the injuries to his throwing hand and shoulder.
Still, Frazier doesn’t like to use the injuries as an excuse.
“That’s who he is. If he can get in the lineup, he’s in there,” Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman said. “If anything, it just shows how tough he is.”
Frazier and Newman return for their second season together in the middle infield. They believe it will be beneficial to their defense, especially when it comes to turning double plays. They learned each other’s preferences and tendencies last season, so both now know where the other likes the ball thrown and where he feels best around the bag.
“We grew a lot as a pair throughout the year,” Frazier said. “That was the first time we played on the same team, really. We spent an extended amount of time together, so we’ve figured out where our misses will be around the bag on feeds, where we’re expecting it and where each guy wants it.”
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Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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