Ji Hwan Bae DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Ji Hwan Bae (hand) is back in the Grapefruit League lineup on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox and is starting in left field and batting leadoff. Bae suffered a jammed right ring finger in the spring training game on Sunday while sliding into third base and was given the day off on Monday to rest. The 25-year-old is fine now and will continue his competition with the likes of Jack Suwinski, DJ Stewart, Joshua Palacios, Nick Solak and Billy Cook for the fourth and fifth outfield spots to open the regular season in Pittsburgh. He's doing his part early in spring training, going 3-for-8 with a double and a run scored in five games. Bae has elite speed (33 steals in three MLB seasons), but he's also hit an underwhelming .231/.296/.304 with two homers in 150 career big-league games. The fact he has minor-league options remaining could mean he'll be starting the year at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Ji Hwan Bae (hand) suffered a minor hand injury when sliding into third base on Sunday. However, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Bae is "fine." Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team may hold him out of action for a few games to start the week. Last season, the 25-year-old held a .189/.247/.216 slash line with just two extra-base hits in the major leagues. He held a high 29.6 percent strikeout rate but did swipe six bags. In 2023, Bae logged a career-high 111 starts in the majors and posted a .213/.296/.311 line with two home runs and 24 stolen bases. When cleared to return, fantasy managers should expect Bae to compete for a depth role in the Pittsburgh outfield.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder/outfielder Ji Hwan Bae (knee) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He'll make his return to the lineup after missing four games due to knee soreness. He'll bat seventh and cover center field versus right-hander Ryne Nelson. Bae has been quiet with the bat during his 13 games with the team. Fantasy managers should be able to find better production elsewhere.