BRADENTON, Fla. -- Last season was an injury nightmare for the Pirates. In total, they sent 27 different players to the injured list and lost 1,850 player days to injury stints, according to Spotrac. Both of those totals ranked in the top three in baseball.
It seemed as though just about every player was hurt for at least part of 2019, with the exception of Adam Frazier.
About that.
On Monday, Frazier revealed he suffered two injuries early in the season and opted to pay through the pain.
In his first workout of spring training last season, Frazier fractured his right index finger. In the regular season opener in Cincinnati, he slightly separated his right shoulder.
"It didn't last all year," Frazier said about his injuries.
He did not want anyone to disclose the injuries and played through the pain. We have learned the Pirates did know about the injury.
Frazier led the Pirates in 152 games played last season, which was also a new career best for him. Last year was the first time he entered the season an everyday player.
Frazier started slow last season, but took off in June, batting .295 with an .808 OPS over the final four months of the season.
He slashed .278/.336/.417 overall with 10 home runs, 50 RBIs and a 99 OPS+. He was worth 2.7 WAR and was nominated for a Gold Glove at second base.
After battling through those early season ailments a year ago, Frazier is hoping for an uneventful spring this season.
"I feel good," Frazier said. "Hopefully no issues, no breaking fingers this spring and I'll keep feeling good."
• Bob Nutting is in Pirate City, as is team president Travis Williams.
Nutting spent most the workout on the field talking to Williams, Ben Cherington and players. He will do a formal interview with the media in March.
• Monday was the first full-squad workout.
"It was good. We got through it healthy and [with] a lot of energy," Derek Shelton said.
The first spring game is Saturday, Feb. 22.
• Lot of infield drills for the hitters today. Tomorrow they will get more time in the batting cage.
• Shelton's start of spring speech was well received by the players.
"I thought it was an 'A,'" Trevor Williams graded it.
"It was really good," Ke'Bryan Hayes was telling me. "I think whenever we went out of there, everyone was ready to go."
"You hope the message is impactful," Shelton said. "And more importantly, that the message is genuine."
Of course the specifics are going to stay in the clubhouse, but the short version was to get their work in and have fun doing it. It is a game, after all.
• Pirates 2019 minor-league pitcher of the year James Marvel put on some weight this offseason. He said he usually lost about five pounds a year during spring training in the past, so he bumped his weight up from 202 lbs. to 225. That way, even if he does lose the same amount of weight this spring, he's still in good shape at 220.
Marvel wanted to put on weight and get stronger after seeing what pitching through September for the first time took physically.
"Now I want to pitch through October," he was telling me.
• Who threw a side session Monday: Joe Musgrove, Steven Brault, Kyle Crick, Edgar Santana, Chris Stratton, Yacksel Rios, Derek Holland, Nick Mears, Nik Turley, Luis Escobar, Montana DuRapau
Who will throw Tuesday: Trevor Williams, Michael Feliz, Keone Kela, Mitch Keller, Hector Noesi, Miguel Del Pozo, Geoff Hartlieb, Blake Cederlind, James Marvel, Cody Ponce, Williams Jerez
Nothing to report from today's throwing sessions.