Jihwan

Bae

Ortiz remains out for the third consecutive game due to a lingering neck issue. All indications are that he’s making progress and figures to be available off the bench in this one, if needed. It’ll be Brice Turang handling shortstop with Jihwan Bae getting a look at the keystone. It’s Turang’s first appearance at shortstop since the 2023 campaign.

On the same day that he inks a minor league contract with the Brewers, Bae gets promoted to join the big league club with shortstop Cooper Pratt (hamstring) landing on the injured list. His versatility and speed should allow Bae to fit in perfectly with what the Brewers like to do, making him an intriguing speed option in NL-only or deeper mixed league formats when he’s in the lineup.

The Brewers have a pair of infielders battling minor injuries in Joey Ortiz (neck) and Cooper Pratt (hamstring), plus Jett Williams (wrist) shelved at Triple-A Nashville, so they’ll bring in some insurance to be on the safe side. Bae hit .257/.360/.368 with five homers, 32 RBI and 36 stolen bases in 371 plate appearances with the Mets at Triple-A Syracuse before opting out of his minor league deal.

Lambert comes as a bit of a surprise, as he had looked sharp during Grapefruit League play. He should get an opportunity to work out of the Mets’ bullpen at some point in 2026. Edwards will continue to work as a starter at Triple-A Syracuse where he adds quality rotation depth that will be needed throughout the season.

Bae, who was picked up on waivers from the Pirates in November, cleared it his second time around. That means he’ll stay with the Mets and get an invite to camp as a non-roster player next month. The 26-year-old Bae has hit .223/.294/.293 with 37 steals in 514 plate appearances with the Pirates since debuting in 2022.

Bae appears to fit the mold from a defensive versatility standpoint for a utility role, but he’s batted just .223/.294/.293 with two homers and 37 steals in 163 games at the big-league level since 2022. The 26-year-old former prospect, who was jettisoned from Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster earlier this week, is likely ticketed for Triple-A Syracuse as organizational depth if he makes it through the offseason on New York’s 40-man roster.

Pittsburgh’s batch of cuts eliminates a potential roster crunch at the outset of the offseason. Bae and Peguero are the prominent inclusions, but they’ve tumbled down the Pirates’ organizational depth chart over the last couple seasons and barely appeared in the big leagues this past year.

Bae started four of the Pirates’ seven games during his latest stint and went 0-for-9, though he did walk four times. He’s two years removed from his only real extensive action with the Pirates, when he hit .231/.296/.311 in 371 plate appearances as a rookie in 2023. It seems likely that he’ll be dropped from the 40-man once the season is over.

It looks to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 37-year-old outfielder. Ji Hwan Bae will start in his place in left field and will bat eighth for the Pirates against Nationals’ right-hander Brad Lord.

Bae returns to Pittsburgh’s bench for the final three weeks of the season. The versatile 26-year-old has gotten into only seven games for the Pirates this season, going 1-for-11 with two steals during that span.