Ji Hwan Bae brings speed, defensive versatility, hot bat into Pirates lineup

The Pittsburgh Pirates called up Ji Hwan Bae, their top offensive performer this season at Triple-A Indianapolis, on Tuesday.

He is batting ninth and starting in center field Tuesday night as the Pirates host the San Francisco Giants.

Bae, 24, led qualified Indians players with a .367 batting average, .479 on-base percentage and 1.030 OPS.

He has 36 hits, four homers, four doubles and 15 RBIs in 27 games.

Defensively, Bae played 14 games in center field, six games in left field and 11 at second base.

At the major-league level, Bae has just one start in left field under his belt, while only 11 of his 319 minor-league defensive starts have been there.

“With left field, I’m not 100% used to it yet because of the spin of the ball and sometimes it’s hard to read that,” Bae said Tuesday through translator Daniel Park. “I’m getting used to it slowly.

“I’m just trusting my feet, and I’m just not trying to be passive — be aggressive and get to the ball.”

With regular center fielder Michael A. Taylor among MLB’s leaders in defensive wins above replacement (tied-5th), manager Derek Shelton is hesitant to make drastic changes to the lineup, even with Bae now at his disposal.

But regardless of where he plays, Bae’s ability to play multiple positions is a positive.

“We have to make sure that our versatility stays,” Shelton said. “(Bae) can play center, he can play second — we need him to play left. The other thing about PNC Park is it’s really nice to have two guys that can cover a ton of ground in those two positions, so (left field) will be a position that there’s a good chance he’ll play also.”

Bae began the season on the injured list because of a left hip muscle strain.

After a brief rehabilitation assignment with the Bradenton Marauders, he landed with the Indians, where he’s been one of the best offensive players across Triple-A.

Pirates assistant general manager Steve Sanders, filling in for Ben Cherington on Sunday on 93.7 FM, gave Bae high marks.

“He’s got a chance to be a dynamic player for us and help impact the game in multiple ways,” Sanders said. “He’s moving around the field and has been able to help us defensively in multiple spots. … Bae’s putting himself in a good spot to help us.”

As for his hip ailment, Bae said it’s not nagging him anymore.

“It wasn’t a constant pain I was feeling, it was more of an on and off thing, which is why I was kind of annoyed about it,” he said. “But right now, I’m at 100% and I feel good.”

After getting a taste of the big leagues in 2022, Bae played 111 games for the Pirates last year, slashing .231/296/.322 with two home runs and 32 RBIs.

A left ankle sprain suffered at the start of July led to a six-week stint on the injured list, but the speedy Bae still led the Pirates in stolen bases with 24.

Bae hit eighth in 34 games, followed by 26 batting leadoff. He hit seventh 21 times and ninth seven times.

Note: In a corresponding roster move, the Pirates optioned right-handed reliever Ryder Ryan to the Indians.