MIAMI —Josh Harrison was removed from Sunday's game against the Marlins after he was hit in the left hand by a pitch from Jose Ureña to lead off the third inning and his status was not revealed to reporters following the Pirates' 7-3 win.
Harrison, 30, was hit by 23 pitches last season, and the final one on Sept. 2 broke a finger on his left hand, ending his season after 128 games. Ureña's 95.6 mph fastball struck Harrison on the back of his left hand, and Harrison walked slowly down the line, peeling off his shin guard and spiking his elbow guard on the ground near first base.
Todd Tomczyk told reporters following the game that the team would wait until it returned to Pittsburgh to confirm a diagnosis and draw up a treatment plan. Harrison repeated the same statement, saying his decision to leave the game was a precaution, and he expressed frustration that he was hit on the same hand as last season.
"It definitely sucks being hit,' he said. "Guys throw hard, man. Beside the point, good team win today. Guys showed up. Took it to them and won the series."
Harrison squirmed and appeared to be in pain when the athletic trainer grabbed his left hand. He is batting .263 in 13 games this season with two doubles, one home run and five RBIs. Frazier scored later in the inning on a two-run double by Josh Bell, but he went 0 for 3 and made an error at second base in the seventh inning.
Harrison's 2016 was also shortened by a groin injury, but an injury coming via a hit-by-pitch has become a point of contention. Although he's been open about how close he stands to the plate, and how it enhances his strengths as a hitter, Harrison said he doesn't plan on making any changes.
Harrison was not wearing a cast following the game; however, he was not present in the dugout after he left, and it appears the Pirates will be without him for at least some amount of time.
"So many degrees of difficulty," Sean Rodriguez told DKPittsburghSports.com. "He got in the hand after everything he went through last year. ... He's a high-volume guy who plays really intensely. You miss that. You take away what he's doing at the top of the lineup, too, hurts."
Frazier will likely be elevated to a starting role at second base if Harrison is to miss more than a few days, with Rodriguez also seeing time there. Additionally, Max Moroff would likely be recalled from Triple-A to provide infield depth off the bench.