Pirates’ Clint Barmes to miss 4-6 weeks with groin strain
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Clint Barmes will be sidelined for four to six weeks after suffering a Grade 3 groin strain on Saturday, reports Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He was already placed on the 15-day disabled list by the club earlier on Sunday.
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Barmes, 35, has spent this season as a utility infielder and backup to starting shortstop Jordy Mercer. He suffered the injury on Saturday during pregame batting practice and needed less than a day before finding himself on the disabled list.
The Pirates will likely need to shuffle around their depth chart a bit without Barmes, who gave the team versatility if nothing else. It should come as good news to Josh Harrison, who was playing well at second base before Neil Walker returned from injury to take back his regular job.
Harrison isn’t quite the defender that Barmes is, but he’s hit significantly better this season. So while the Pirates might lose something in the field with the injury, it’s possible Harrison makes it up with superior production at the plate.
Barmes has been miserable at the plate for years, with little changing in 2014. Over 100 plate appearances, he’s batted .239/.320/.284 with zero homers, providing little other than a somewhat acceptable on-base percentage. Harrison, on the other hand, has been in the midst of a breakout season. The 26-year-old is batting .299/.336/.448 with five homers and nine steals in 71 games this season.
Barmes is currently on a one-year, $2 million contract with the Pirates after being re-signed during the offseason. He was originally signed by Pittsburgh to a two-year deal in 2011.