By the numbers
Josh Harrison's career games played, by position:
Year 2B 3B SS OF P
2011 6 50 0 0 0
2012 28 14 25 13 0
2013 11 7 4 15 1
2014 17 72 8 50 0
2015 37 72 0 22 0
2016 128 0 0 1 0
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Updated 19 minutes ago
BRADENTON, Fla. — If Jung Ho Kang's legal woes keep him away from the Pirates for a significant stretch of time, Josh Harrison is willing to resume his role as a super-utility player.
As spring training camp enters its sixth day Sunday, Kang remained in South Korea awaiting his Feb. 22 trial on drunk-driving charges. The Pirates said they don't know how long Kang will be absent.
Harrison, who spent last season as the everyday second baseman, said he could be conscripted to fill in for Kang at third base.
“Regardless of where I played last year, certain instances might call for me (to move),” Harrison said. “Who would I be to say, ‘No, I won't go (to third)?' ”
Harrison took grounders exclusively at second base Friday and Saturday, the first two days of full-squad workouts.
“For the time being, I'm going to focus on second,” Harrison said. “But if I'm asked to do something else, I'm always ready.”
Harrison last year started 122 games, all of them at second base. He would have played even more, but a strained right groin ended his season in mid-September.
With two seasons (plus two option years) left on his $27.3 million contract, will Harrison remain the everyday second baseman?
“It's a great topic of discussion that we continue to have,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
“We'll see where it takes us. I understand knowing, and I understand comfort. If situations change, I do think there is a buy-in (to move) that's real with him. I do think his versatility can help him.”
There was a time when “utilityman” was a dirty word in baseball.
“It was a label that meant a guy couldn't play,” Harrison said. “But it's not about being a bad player. It's being somebody who can help a team.”
Harrison should know. He began his career with the Pirates as a do-it-all defender who divvied up his time between third base, shortstop and the outfield. He even pitched one-third of an inning in 2013.
Last season was the first time Harrison could attach the word “everyday” to his job description. He batted .283 with a .699 OPS — dramatically lower numbers than in 2014, when he was an All-Star and finished ninth in the MVP balloting.
One reason for his regression were the lingering effects of the torn thumb ligament he sustained in July 2015. He healed well after surgery, but his left hand remained weak and stiff.
“If it was cold or if I didn't hit a ball right, just rolling over that joint sometimes would be painful enough to where I would know that it was still there,” Harrison said.
Without realizing he was doing it, Harrison compensated by tightening his grip on the bat. His swing and his production suffered.
“This offseason, I had to go back to the drawing board — not to change things, but just to retrain my hands to work together,” Harrison said.
For the first time in two years, Harrison had a normal offseason. With his thumb finally fully ready, he was able to lift weights and work in the batting cage without problems.
“I was able to get after it like I wanted to, without any reservations,” Harrison said.
Rob Biertempfel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BiertempfelTrib.
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