Pirates' Ji-hwan Bae: Nearing return to game action
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Bae (oblique) should return to action for Triple-A Indianapolis or a lower-level affiliate as part of a rehab assignment within the next few days, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Bae is on Indianapolis' 7-day injured list due to an oblique strain, which has kept him out of commission since July 24. The 23-year-old has picked up starts in both middle-infield spots as well as left field and center field this season, but he's expected to be eased back in as a designated hitter when he's formally activated from the IL. Before being shut down with the injury, Bae was slashing .300/.367/.453 with eight home runs and 20 steals in 358 plate appearances for Indianapolis.
