Update 4:31 p.m. by Nate Barnes: Harrison, sporting a heavily wrapped left hand with ice on his thumb, confirmed he hurt his thumb when he slid to steal second base in the seventh inning. A few initial reports had the injury tabbed as torn ligaments in the thumb, but Harrison will be reevaluated after the swelling goes down. While the Pirates are waiting for Harrison to be examined by a hand specialist, the fear is their third baseman and leadoff hitter has a torn ligament that will need surgery and sideline him until at least late August.
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In 75 games, Harrison is hitting. Taking Harrison’s spot on the 25-man roster will be 1B/OF Travis Ishikawa, who was claimed on waivers from the San Francisco Giants yesterday. That’s baseball. You can’t get upset about it.
Kang becomes a pivotal figure for the Pirates now that it looks like Harrison will miss a substantial period of time.
The Pirates placed the 27-year-old Harrison on the 15-day DL Monday. He overcame a slow start, as newcomer Jung Ho Kang displaced him in the starting lineup for a short stretch in May, and has hit.
“If it was me, I’d say let’s go right now”, Harrison said. “But, truth be told, I can”t do it today. “He”s spent most of his time at third base but has given the Pirates defensive versatility by moving to second base, left field or right field at times this season.
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The Pirates will also play without LF Starling Marte tonight. “We’ve got a good team, and Clint [Hurdle] has said it before – it’s going to take us all”. Marte left Sunday’s game with discomfort in his side and will sit out tonight.
