CINCINNATI — Ji Hwan Bae was surprised to see his name in the Opening Day lineup at second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Canaan Smith-Njigba wasn’t surprised at all to be starting in right field.
Derek Shelton had different reasons for starting a pair of rookies Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds, but the Pirates manager said he made the moves because “we just felt that was the best opportunity for us to win the game.”
The left handed-hitting Bae got the nod over switch hitter Rodolfo Castro because Shelton liked the matchup against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene. Shelton said Bae will see time in center field this season.
“I got nothing else to say other than that I’m surprised,” Bae said through translator Daniel Park. “Obviously, I’m very happy to see my name in the starting lineup, but it’s only the beginning of the season. I hope to be in the starting lineup at the end of the season, too.”
The pitching matchup also played in Smith-Njigba’s favor, as he’s a lefty hitter while Connor Joe bats righty. It had as much to do with the sore right elbow of Andrew McCutchen, who was the designated hitter, though Shelton emphasized Smith-Njigba earned the honor.
“He won the competition to be on the club with the way he performed in spring training,” Shelton said. “We have to see what he does and how he does it. As of right now, he’s going to get at-bats. We’ll go from there. And with a lot of guys on our club right now, we’ll go from there and make decisions. With the spring he had, he deserved to be here.”
Even though he only played three games in the majors last season before suffering a season-ending fractured wrist, Smith-Njigba believes his bat plays, especially against right-handed pitching. He wants to prove Shelton right for giving him the starting honors.
“It means everything and more,” Smith-Njigba said. “I’m just thankful that Skip trusts me. He knows I’m going to do everything I can to help this team win and do what I need to do. I’m just very thankful to keep it going so he can pencil me in more.”
CASTRO
READY TO GO
Castro didn’t allow the disappointment of not starting at second base overshadow his first Opening Day.
Although Castro has played 102 games for the Pirates over the past two seasons, this was the first time he made the 26-man roster coming out of spring training.
“It’s a really emotional day for me and my family back in the Dominican,” Castro said through translator Stephen Morales. “This is a dream come true, just to be part of an Opening Day roster. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a kid. God got me through it.”
Castro could share time with Bae at second base but also is able to back up Oneil Cruz at shortstop and Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base, and he’s open to the possibility of playing where the Pirates need him.
“Basically, I’m just going to take advantage of every opportunity. It doesn’t matter when or how. I’m just here to play baseball and help the team win. Not being in the Opening Day lineup is what it is, but I’m ready to go whenever they need me.”
WAITING GAME
Rob Zastryzny had to wait to see if he would make the Opening Day roster, as the Pirates brought him here from Bradenton without committing a roster spot until Thursday.
It proved to be worth the wait.
The 31-year-old left-handed reliever got emotional when he was told Wednesday afternoon that he’d made the team and was added to the 40-man roster, along with backup catcher Jason Delay. To make room on the roster, the Pirates placed right-handers JT Brubaker and Robert Stephenson on the 15-day injured list and lefty reliever Jarlin Garcia on the 60-day IL and designated outfielder Ryan Vilade for assignment.
“I called and told my wife once I found out. She was bawling, crying, and I was like, ‘I train year-round. I expect stuff like this to happen,’ “ Zastryzny said. “But then you see her (at the hotel), and I started tearing up a little bit, and I gotta call my parents and tell them.”
It marked the first time Zastryzny made an Opening Day roster in his 10-year professional career. A 2013 second-round pick, he has played for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels, underwent elbow surgery in 2020 and had a short stint with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. So it’s been a long, winding road.
“I’m very excited for him,” Shelton said. “When I brought him in, I was going to mess with him a little bit. But when I saw the look on his face, I was like, ‘I can’t do this. I’ve got to go straight to the point here.’ It’s exciting. I think we have 10 or 11 guys that it’s their first time on Opening Day. But it was cool to tell him that.”
