BRADENTON, Fla. — Geoff Hartlieb spent the first 25 years of his life with an extra bone in his right foot and didn’t even know it.

“It’s one of those crazy things,” the Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher said.

Hartlieb began feeling pain in his foot midway through his rookie season last year. He continued to pitch through the discomfort until making his final appearance Sept. 20.

Made aware of Hartlieb’s situation, team doctors ordered imaging test on the foot. That is when it was discovered he had the extra bone, which was at the juncture where the tendons in the ankle and foot connect.

Hartlieb had the bone surgically removed in October.

“It was causing me pain for quite a while,” Hartlieb said at the Pirates’ spring training camp. “I didn’t really think anything of it, but it changed the way I was doing everything. There were changes in my mechanics, walking, running. If affects the way you throw, your balance and everything you do with your feet.”

Hartlieb pitched 29 times for the Pirates last season and had a 9.00 ERA. He allowed 35 runs in 35 innings along with 52 hits and 18 walks.

It was an ugly debut, but Hartlieb is hoping a reduction in the number of his bones in his feet will also lead to a reduction in his ERA.

“I’m just glad to have it fixed and looking forward to going out there at 100 percent this year,” he said.

Hartlieb also believes the mental part of his game will be better this season. The 26-year-old admits he never felt comfortable during his time with the Pirates in 2019.

Of course, the Pirates clubhouse wasn’t the most welcoming place for a rookie a year ago. There was plenty of dissension and discord, especially during a second-half collapse that led to the Pirates finishing last in the National League Central for the first time since 2010.

Making matters worse, Hartlieb felt constricted by the organizational approach of general manager Neal Huntington, manager Clint Hurdle and pitching coach Ray Searage. All three have since been fired.

“Fresh” is the word Hartlieb uses to describe the new trio of GM Ben Cherington, manager Derek Shelton and pitching coach Oscar Marin.

“From a rookie standpoint, you know you’re the young guy and you’re trying to keep your head down and do your thing,” Hartlieb said of last season. “I just didn’t find the whole atmosphere to be very welcoming, open, receptive to ideas.

“There was only one way to do things. That really held me back, and I’m an emotional pitcher, an emotional guy. You didn’t see that emotion come out from me last year because I was trying to internalize everything and basically not be seen and not be heard. That’s not how I’m going to be this year.”

Hartlieb has been an effective pitcher in the minor leagues, compiling a 2.87 ERA in 128 games over four seasons.

That has made for quite a story for someone who wasn’t selected until the 29th round of the 2016 amateur draft from Lindenwood, a Division II school in Missouri. He began his collegiate career as a basketball player at D-II Quincy in Illinois for one season before transferring.

Though Hartlieb is not a lock to make the Opening Day roster, he is looking forward to start showing that same kind of success in the major leagues.

“I’m going to be who I am this year,” Hartlieb said. “The biggest thing I learned last year is that confidence plays such a big part of being successful at the major league level. I’m going to be a much more confident pitcher this time around.”

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