TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Corey Dickerson was 1 for 3 with a single in three at-bats in his first spring training game for the Pittsburgh Pirates, an 8-6 loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday.
Dickerson and Adam Frazier are among players being eased into game action.
“We’re trying some different things as far as when we plug guys in and the amount of work they do and the volume of work that they do to see how they respond to it,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
Dickerson, who hit .300 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 135 games last season, was a designated hitter and could play in the outfield next week.
Frazier is set to play for the first time this weekend.
Pittsburgh is ensuring playing time for prospects and offseason acquisitions.
“That’s one of the things we took into consideration when we looked at the makeup of the roster in spring training,” Hurdle said. “The number of young players that we have here that we actually wanted to put eyes on. The number of guys we targeted in the offseason and brought in from the outside that we told there would be opportunities.”
Jung Ho Kang homered for the third time and is hitting .429 (3 for 7) in three games. … OF Gregory Polanco, coming back from September shoulder surgery, could get at-bats before the team break camp.
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