Pirates Send Outfielder to Minors
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PHILADELPHIA — The Pittsburgh Pirates recently sent a player down to the minors, amongst recent roster moves.
The Pirates announced that they optioned outfielder Ji Hwan Bae to Triple-A Indianapolis, as they made room for outfielder Nick Solak on the 26-man roster.
We have selected the contract of INF/OF Nick Solak from Triple-A Indianapolis, and optioned OF Ji Hwan Bae to Indianapolis to make room for Solak on the 26-man active roster
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 16, 2025
INF/OF Michael Helman has been designated for assignment to make room for Solak on the 40-man roster.
Pittsburgh recently recalled Bae on May 9, as they placed infielder Enmanuel Valdez on the Injured List.
He played in five games from May 10-14, coming in as a pinch-runner the first three games and starting in center field whille hitting eighth in the batting order the past two games on the road against the New York Mets.
Bae would score twice in the ninth inning in the 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on May 10 and against the Mets in the 4-3 loss on May 12. He also laid down a successful bunt on May 14 and scored off a home run from Pirates utilityman Jared Triolo in the 4-0 win vs. the Mets.
He started the season with the Pirates, starting in left field against the Miami Marlins on March 29. He had no hits in four at-bats, striking out three times, as the Pirates lost on a walk-off, 5-4 in 12 innings.
He got in as a pinch-runner the following game vs. the Marlins on March 30 in the eighth inning, coming in for designated hitter Andrew McCutchen, with the score 2-2 with two outs.
Bae had three different attempts stealing second base, where he went and then ran back, even on a 3-1 count, which right fielder Jack Suwinski walked on.
He stayed on, even though he appeared to pull his hamstring, and would steal third base, before a crew chief review looked at it and called him out.
The Pirates would go on to lose that game on a walk-off as well, 3-2 in nine innings, as they won just one of their four games against the Marlins on the road.
Pittsburgh sent Bae down to Triple-A Indianapolis on April 3, making room for outfielder Alexander Canario on the 26-man active roster.
Bae played just 29 games for the Pirates in 2024, slashing .189/.247/.216 with an OPS of .463 with just 14 hits in 74 at-bats, two doubles, six RBIs and six walks to 24 strikeouts.
He also played in 66 games for Indianapolis, where he did much better, slashing .341/.433/.504 for an OPS of .937 with 84 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 41 RBIs and 41 walks.
The Pirates signed Bae as an international free agent from South Korea on a $1.5 million contract on June 27, 2018.
Bae spent four seasons in the minor leagues, excluding 2020, which the MLB cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He made his debut on Sept. 23, 2022, playing second base for the Pirates against the Chicago Cubs.
Bae would play 111 games for the Pirates in 2023, slashing .231/.296/.311 for a .608 OPS, with 77 hits, 17 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 32 RBIs, 24 stolen bases and 30 walks to 92 strikeouts.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.