Someone on the Pirates’ bench needed to get the boot to make room for Alexander Canario on Friday and unfortunately for Bae, he was the odd man out this time around. The 25-year-old went hitless in four at-bats in his brief action with the Pirates this season.

Bae (1.168 OPS) and Jack Suwinski (1.025 OPS) are making things tough for a Pirates team that decided to promise spots to Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier, all of whom are long past their primes. Of course, it’s far from assured that either Bae or Suwinski will keep this up, but both truly might belong in the starting lineup against right-handers to begin the year. Alas, there only figures to be room for one on the roster unless someone gets hurt. Suwinski is probably the better choice for the Pirates, even if Bae is simply crushing it this spring. He has seven extra-base hits now. McCutchen, Pham and Frazier have combined for four.

Bae was the Pirates’ offensive standout for the second time this week, and he’s now 8-for-13 with a homer on the spring. There just isn’t really any path for him to make the Pirates unless an outfielder gets hurt. Maybe the Pirates could cut fellow left-handed bat Joshua Palacios for him, but Palacios is out of options and Bae isn’t. Even if Bae makes the team, it’d presumably be as a true reserve; it’s doubtful the team would turn Tommy Pham into a platoon guy immediately. Jack Suwinski would likely be the better platoon option anyway.

Bae is one of the younger players still on the 40-man but blocked for the short term by the late additions of Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier to the Pirates roster. The 25-year-old has hit .231/.296/.304 with 33 steals in 489 plate appearances over the last three seasons. He has more pop than the line suggests, but he hits the ball on the ground far too often, and he’s yet to establish himself defensively anywhere.